Satisfaction and Preference for Traditional Chinese Medicine Drugs Among Guardians of Children with Acute...

To evaluate the satisfaction, concerns, and preference for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) drugs among guardians of children with acute bronchiolitis, assess the agreement between satisfaction and preference, and explore the factors associated with satisfaction.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in three main tertiary hospitals in Kunming, China, from September 2012 to July 2013 by structured questionnaire interviews. The characteristics of children and their guardians and guardians' satisfaction with and preference for TCM drugs were collected and analyzed by using chi-square or Fisher exact test. The agreement of satisfaction and preference was assessed by κ and prevalence-adjusted κ coefficients. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with satisfaction.

A total of 286 guardians were enrolled in the study. Most children (97.6%) were younger than age 2 years. In total, the rates of satisfaction and preference for TCM drugs were 75.5% and 73.1%, respectively, and preference and satisfaction levels did not significantly differ between TCM and non-TCM hospitals. Guardians with higher socioeconomic status were more satisfied with TCM drugs, and the most common reason for preference for TCM drugs was that they had less toxicity or fewer adverse effects. Guardians were concerned most about safety and least concerned about cost. The agreement between satisfaction and preference was moderate in general (prevalence-adjusted κ=0.42).

Three fourths of the Chinese guardians of children with acute bronchiolitis were satisfied with and preferred the TCM drugs. Moderate agreement between satisfaction and preference was shown.