title: The education of traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine: surveys of training hospitals and residents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Japanese physicians prescribe Kampo medicine, but Kampo education is not standardized. We surveyed training hospitals and residents to identify problems and suggest solutions to promote Kampo education during and after residency.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a double questionnaire survey of 1011 training hospitals in Japan and 93 Tokai University School of Medicine graduates of 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 816 effective responses (81%) from the training hospitals. Most instructors (84%) thought physicians should have Kampo clinical skills; 67% thought positively about introducing Kampo education into clinical training; 23% of the hospitals provided Kampo education; 70% of instructors at hospitals without Kampo education indicated the lack of Kampo instructors, 16% lack of time, and 7% no necessity for Kampo education; hospitals permitted Kampo education through voluntary study (42%), lectures sponsored by Kampo manufacturers (35%), and study sessions with other hospitals (32%); independent study sessions (10%); smaller hospitals were less active in Kampo education than larger ones. The survey of residents had 72 effective responses (77%): 91% were interested in Kampo medicine; 96% thought it worth learning; 31% could learn it during residency; 52% were not satisfied with the training, 83% wanted to learn it; 73% thought it should be introduced into the curricula; 93% prescribed Kampo medicine, and residents who learned it prescribed it more; 48% were reluctant to prescribe it after residency; 89% thought Western and Kampo medicine should be integrated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Instructors knew Kampo education was needed, but little of it was taught, especially in small hospitals, because of the lack of Kampo instructors. Residents recognized the need for Kampo medicine and were motivated to learn it. Kampo medicine was mostly prescribed because instructors suggested it. Because of the limited opportunities to learn Kampo medicine, it should be taught during residency. In small hospitals, cooperation with other hospitals could be a solution to teach Kampo medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kampo Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan. arai@tokai-u.jp.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Department of Kampo Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakada
authors.affiliation: Division of Postgraduate Education, Tokai University Hospital, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Shun-Ichiro
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D004501:Education, Medical; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Kampo education; Questionnaire; Residents; Survey; Training hospitals