Investigating the Rate of the Use of Persian Traditional Medicine Services in Tehran

BACKGROUND: Despite all the advancements and publicity made in regard to classical medicine, every day more and more people are interested in complementary medicine. This study was designed and conducted to determine the relative frequency of the use of Persian traditional medicine services by the people of Tehran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using the telephone survey method in Tehran. A total of 1824 samples were included in the study based on Cochran's formula. At first, by searching databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, Embase, and internal sources, including the Iran Medex database, numerous medical texts and articles were reviewed in the field of using traditional medicine services. Then, interview guide questions were designed and asked over the phone. Finally, the data were extracted and subjected to quantitative analysis. Frequency and percentage of relative frequency were used to describe the study data. RESULTS: In the study, 62% (n = 1131) of the participants were women, and 60.5% (n = 1103) of the participants have turned to modern medicine for treatment and have also used traditional medical treatments. Also, 43.5% (n = 864) of the participants have used herbal medicines and their products; 43% (n = 616) of the participants have used Persian traditional medicine treatments as self-treatment based on their personal information; and only 46.5% (n = 666) have evaluated the therapeutic effect of Persian traditional medicine methods as “good.” CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate the need for more emphasis on Persian traditional medicine alongside modern medicine, more organization and supervision of traditional medicine service providers in the country, and the creation of coherent and integrated management in this field.