title: Preference and willingness to pay for traditional medicine services in rural ethnic minority community in Vietnam.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional medicine (TM) still plays an important role in a number of health care systems around the world, especially across Asian and African countries. In Vietnam, however, little is known about preference for traditional medicine use. This study assessed the prevalence of use, preference, satisfaction, and willingness to pay for TM services amongst rural ethnic minority community.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey in three provinces in the North and South of Vietnam.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a high level of satisfaction with TM services, with more than 90 % of respondents reporting improved health status given the use of TM. Indicators for preference of TM over modern medicine are a longer distance to health station; being in an ethnic minority; being female; and having had higher service satisfaction. Although we did not have a comparison group, the high level of satisfaction with TM services is likely the result of a project targeting community health workers and the public regarding TM education and access promotion. Indeed, the community health workers are credited with relaying the information about TM more than any other sources. This suggests the importance of community health workers and community health centers in the promotion of TM use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethnic minority people prefer the use of traditional medicine services that supports the expansion of national programs and promotion of traditional medications.
authors: Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam. bach@hmu.edu.vn.|Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. bach@hmu.edu.vn.
authors: Bach Xuan
authors: BX
authors: Tran
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Hanoi School of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors: Ngan Kim
authors: NK
authors: Nguyen
authors: T.H.Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.
authors: Lan Phuong
authors: LP
authors: Nguyen
authors: Institute for Global Health Innovations, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam.
authors: Cuong Tat
authors: CT
authors: Nguyen
authors: Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors: Vuong Minh
authors: VM
authors: Nong
authors: School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors: Long Hoang
authors: LH
authors: Nguyen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D057240:Patient Preference; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012424:Rural Population; D014744:Vietnam; D055815:Young Adult