Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 16
Diabetes is routinely diagnosed at primary care level. The uptake of primary care services, and the use of prescribed medicine are low among UK Chinese. This is a cause of concern when viewed in the light of rising prevalence of diabetes among Chinese people. There is, however, evidence that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used by the UK Chinese. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of TCM in the management regimes of UK Chinese who are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
Eighty UK Chinese participants are to be recruited from Chinese community centres and voluntary organisations. Second generation Chinese will also be recruited via the British-Born Chinese Organisation. Participants will take part in a series of individual semistructured interviews and focus group interviews.
Initial work with participants diagnosed with diabetes suggests that linguistic and cultural issues remain a primary obstacle in the access to healthcare services for the UK Chinese. Similarly, diet manipulation and self-monitoring are also reported as forms of ‘first line’ management.
The results from this study will have the potential to inform the future planning and delivery of healthcare services to the UK Chinese community. They will also have implications for healthcare delivery and access for other ethnic minority populations.
This is a full-time PhD study funded by the School of Healthcare, University of Leeds.
