Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33665088›Full record

ArticleIntegrative medicine research2021

A comparative study of the traditional medicine systems of South Korea and Taiwan: Focus on administration, education and license.

Dongsu Kim, Chun-Chuan Shih, Hung-Chiang Cheng, Soo-Hyun Kwon, Hyunmin Kim, Byungmook Lim

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Article in Integrative medicine research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Duagnosis: Locating Clinical Uncertainty in the Diagnostic Framework.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Dongsu KimCollege of Oriental Medicine, Dongshin University, Naju, South Korea.
Chun-Chuan ShihSchool of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Hung-Chiang ChengInternational Affairs, The National Union of Chinese Medicine Doctor's Association, Taipei, Taiwan.
Soo-Hyun KwonGuideline Center for Korean Medicine, National Institute for Korean Medicine Development, Seoul, South Korea.
Hyunmin KimDivision of Humanities and Social Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, South Korea.
Byungmook LimDivision of Humanities and Social Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, South Korea.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraditional medicine (TM) is widely used in South Korea and Taiwan, and both societies have similar systems for the management of TM. This study aimed to compare the TM systems in South Korea and Taiwan.

methodsWe searched for studies on the TM systems and collected statistical data from the websites of relevant government agencies in both countries. Interviews were conducted with experts on TM and officials from government agencies. The two TM systems were described and examined in terms of policies, resources, utilization, licensing, and educational systems.

resultsBoth South Korea and Taiwan have a dual system that separates the administration, licensing and educational systems between TM and Western Medicine (WM), and the TM systems are well established and highly standardized. Comparing with South Korea, however, Taiwan has a more flexible dual medical system in which education courses for producing dual licensure are provided. Additionally, in the system in Taiwan, dual license holders can use both TM and WM methods without limitations and WM doctors can apply acupuncture under some circumstances. Because of the strict dual medical system in South Korea, TM and WM conflict with each other on most health issues.

conclusionBoth South Korea and Taiwan have the advantages of preserving TM, as TM and WM are systemically independent and together provide a more holistic approach. The institutionalization of TM in South Korea and Taiwan may be a good reference for countries considering modernization of their TM.

Indexed as

Dual medical systemKoreaMedical educationMedical licenseTaiwan

Identifiers

PMID33665088
PMCPMC7903058

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.