Assessing the Quality of Western Medicine Practitioners' education on Traditional Chinese Medicine

A Modified Importance-Performance Analysis

Authors

  • Na Chen International Healthcare Management Research and Development Center (IHM-RDC), The First Affiliated Hospital of the Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
  • Xing Zeng Shandong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
  • Kun Wang Shandong Province Health Science and Technology and Talent Development Center

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56226/116

Keywords:

Integrated Chinese-Western medicin, Medical education, Quality evaluation, Donabedian model, Importance-performance analysis

Abstract

Aims and Objectives
To identify and assess factors influencing Western medicine practitioners’ motivation to learn Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Design and Setting
A cross-sectional study conducted in Shandong Province, China.
Methods
In 2024, 207 Western medicine practitioners participating in TCM training sessions were enrolled. Validated questionnaires collected demographic and experiential data, followed by univariate and binary logistic regression analyses to identify independent predictive factors.
Results
The overall satisfaction score was 4.54 ± 0.58 (mean ± SD), with structural dimensions scoring lowest (4.45 ± 0.64). Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) revealed seven critical improvement areas, predominantly policy clarity (structural dimension) and clinical applicability (process dimension).
Conclusions
While Shandong’s Western Medicine-TCM (WM-TCM) integration program demonstrates high participant satisfaction, strategic enhancements in policy transparency, equitable resource allocation, and curriculum integration are essential to ensure long-term efficacy. Insights from global integrative medicine frameworks provide actionable pathways for program optimization.

References

Chen, S., Liu, Y., Zhang, H., Lu, Y., & Wang, L. (2018). Factors influencing the knowledge gap regarding national essential medicine policy in township hospital health workers: A cross-sectional study in China. International Journal for Equity in Health, *17*(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0731-2

Donabedian, A. (1988). The quality of care: How can it be assessed? JAMA, 260(12), 1743–1748. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1988.03410120089033

Huang, K., Wang, C., Zhang, X., Yang, L., Xu, Z., & Yu, W. (2021). Challenges and countermeasures of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China: A review. Integrative Medicine Research, *10*(Suppl), 100777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2021.100777

Li, J., Li, X., Wang, Q., Hu, L., & Zhang, T. (2022). Competency-based medical education in China: A content analysis of policy documents. Medical Education Online, *27*(1), 2010290. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2021.2010290

Li, X., Krumholz, H. M., Yip, W., Cheng, K. K., De Maeseneer, J., Meng, Q., ... & Hu, S. (2020). Quality of primary health care in China: Challenges and recommendations. The Lancet, *395*(10239), 1802-1812. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30122-7 (Discusses resource allocation and funding challenges in primary care/CME contexts).

Liang, Z., Howard, P. F., & Leggat, S. G. (2022). Learning from masters: A qualitative study on the experiences and strategies of master TCM practitioners in China. BMC Medical Education, *22*(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03538-w

Liu, S., Li, Y., Zeng, X., Wang, H., Yin, P., Wang, L., ... & Zhou, M. (2021). Burden of cardiovascular diseases in China, 1990–2016: Findings from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, *73*(24), 3136-3144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.04.036 (While focused on burden, this large national study highlights systemic resource allocation issues relevant to CME funding context).

Liu, Y., Kong, Q., Yuan, S., & van de Klundert, J. (2021). Factors influencing choice of health system access level in China: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, *16*(8), e0255277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255277 (Discusses factors like digital access, insurance, and resource allocation impacting healthcare choices).

Liu, Y., Wang, L., & Huang, X. (2021). Challenges in evaluating integrative medicine training programs: A scoping review. Medical Education, 55(8), 912–925. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14522

Norcini, J., Anderson, B., Bollela, V., Burch, V., Costa, M. J., Duvivier, R., ... & Roberts, T. (2018). Criteria for good assessment: Consensus statement and recommendations from the Ottawa 2010 Conference. Medical Teacher, *40*(1), 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1395352

Shandong Health Commission. (2023). Annual report on TCM reform pilot achievements. Shandong Medical Journal, 44(3), 1–15. http://sdwjw.shandong.gov.cn

State Council of China. (2022). 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine. http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2022-03/29/content_5682255.htm

Sun, M., Yang, L., Chen, W., Luo, L., & Zhang, J. (2023). Evaluating the effectiveness of blended learning in an undergraduate diagnostic Chinese medicine course: A mixed-methods study. BMC Medical Education, *23*(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04046-1

Tian, J., Li, J., Li, Y., Jiang, Y., & Zhang, L. (2022). The gap between traditional Chinese medicine education and clinical practice: A qualitative study. Medical Education Online, *27*(1), 2058310. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2058310

Wang, H., Gusmano, M. K., & Cao, Q. (2019). An evaluation of the policy on community health organizations in China: Will the priority of new healthcare reform in China be a success? Health Policy and Planning, *34*(3), 216–223. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz026 (Discusses funding and resource challenges at primary care level).

WHO. (2019). WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241515436

World Health Organization. (2016). Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/250368

Xie, Y., Liu, L., Zhang, J., Luo, H., & Li, Y. (2020). Blended teaching in acupuncture education: A review of current evidence and proposals for future development. Medical Education Online, *25*(1), 1823145. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2020.1823145

Yan, J., Zhang, Z., Yang, X., & Li, S. (2020). Application of the WeChat platform in health education for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, *22*(8), e19456. https://doi.org/10.2196/19456

Zhang, R., & Chen, H. (2020). Curriculum design in Chinese-Western integrative medicine education: A systematic review. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 456. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02373-1

Zhang, Y., Li, H., Zhang, X., Li, L., & Zhang, J. (2020). The integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in the era of precision medicine. Journal of Integrative Medicine, *18*(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2019.10.001

TCM concept Image

Published

24-06-2025

How to Cite

Chen, N., Zeng, X., & Wang, K. (2025). Assessing the Quality of Western Medicine Practitioners’ education on Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Modified Importance-Performance Analysis. International Healthcare Review (online). https://doi.org/10.56226/116

Issue

Section

Special Collection: Healthcare Management