The popularity of complementary medicine has been relentless over the past decade. Among the most popular are Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which has a long and unbroken history.
This article reports on two integrated health care pilot schemes where TCM and Western medicine are merged, to varying degrees, for the benefits of patients. One of the schemes focuses on general medicine whilst the other focuses on mental health.
The authors conclude that the integrated schemes have many advantages and, on the whole, are beneficial for patients. The issues involved and learning points are discussed.
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