International journal of technology assessment in health care
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Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 1987
Integrating ancient and modern medicine in Chinese hospitals. The interaction among technology, traditional Chinese medicine, and health care.
Modern industrial society and its industrial processes can sometimes discourage the practice of traditional medicine. The existence and use of traditional Chinese medicine for several thousands of years indicates that it has sound elements. As has been true with features of other ancient, highly developed civilizations, the discipline of traditional Chinese medicine offers a valuable resource in the treatment and prevention of disease. ⋯ The policy and process aimed at integrating traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine are presented in this paper. These measures have resulted in considerable utilization and development of the traditional Chinese medicine system, and have had a major impact on the development of public health care, as well as medical technology and science. The positive interactions between these fields of study and existing problems are discussed, and some comments on future expectations are presented.