Traditional and Complementary Medicine: Experiences and Perspectives of Patients Receiving Palliative Care

Aim: This study aimed to learn about the experiences and perspectives of patients receiving at the Comprehensive Palliative Center of Samsun University Faculty of Medicine Training and Research Hospital regarding Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) methods and to investigate the factors affecting these.Material and methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted with 128 different patients who received services at the Palliative Care Department between 15 May-15 August 2024. A data collection form consisting of a total of 28 questions, prepared by us based on a literature review, was administered to the participants face-to-face. The collected data were analysed using the SPSS v28 software package. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.Results: 51.6% (n=66) of patients were male, with a mean age of 76.4±12.6 years, 48.4% (n=62) of patients used TCM methods. 83.9% (n=52) of patients who used TCM methods applied them outside the hospital. In TCM applications, most applications performed on the recommendation of a physician are beneficial (86.7%), while those performed on the recommendation of non-healthcare professionals have higher rates of harm (38.5%) and no effect (30.8%). A statistically significant relationship was found between the person making the recommendation and the post-application results (p=0.004).Conclusion: In our study, patients were asked where they received TCM treatment, and it was found that the vast majority had it done in non-medical settings. It is considered necessary to make the necessary regulations regarding this issue, which could cause harm to patients.