Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study
Abstract Background Herbal medicine administration in conventional health care services is gaining popularity lately. Much has not been documented on the perceived enhancers and challenges to herbal medicine administration at the hospital. The study sought to explore the facilitators and barriers to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03334-x |
| _version_ | 1818438869787344896 |
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| author | Comfort Asare Lydia Aziato Daniel Boamah |
| author_facet | Comfort Asare Lydia Aziato Daniel Boamah |
| author_sort | Comfort Asare |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Herbal medicine administration in conventional health care services is gaining popularity lately. Much has not been documented on the perceived enhancers and challenges to herbal medicine administration at the hospital. The study sought to explore the facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana. Method Qualitative descriptive exploratory design was employed. Fourteen participants among the consented and purposively sampled nurses were interviewed. Data was transcribed and analysed using content analysis. Results The participants disclosed that facilitators to the clinical administration of herbal medicine include doctors’ prescription, affordability of herbal medications by patients, patients’ willingness to use herbal medicine and availability of herbal medicine. Barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine were inadequate knowledge on herbal medicine, lack of publicity, unclear integration, lack of collaboration and policies on herbal medicine administration at the hospital. Other barriers were negative mindset of patients and lack of national health insurance scheme (NHIS) coverage. Conclusion Clinical administration of herbal medicine is faced with an array of challenges. Doctor’s prescription, nursing education on herbal medicine and NHIS coverage of herbal medicine are imperative to improve herbal medicine administration in hospitals. Plain English summary Herbal medicine addition into mainstream health care services is surging high in many countries. This study aimed at finding out what nurses consider as the issues that make it easy or difficult to serve herbal medicine in the hospital. Qualitative method was employed, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted and data collected was typed verbatim. The typed data was content analysed and findings supported with the nurses’ statements. The findings of the study showed that facilitators to the clinical use of herbal medicine include doctors’ prescription, affordability of the herbal drug, patient’s willingness to use the herbal medication, patient’s belief about herbal medicine and availability of herbal medicine. Challenges to the clinical use of herbal medicine disclosed were lack of knowledge on herbal medicine, lack of publicity, unclear integration, lack of collaboration between health professionals and herbal medicine providers. Other barriers include negative mindset of patients and lack of national health insurance (NHIS) coverage. The researchers came to a consensus that nurses need further training on herbal medicine to enhance herbal medicine use at the hospital. Health professionals need to collaborate with herbal medicine service providers and NHIS must be reviewed to cover herbal medications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T17:47:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-10dd364cb9f94502acbad49162ace23e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-7671 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T17:47:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
| spelling | doaj.art-10dd364cb9f94502acbad49162ace23e2022-12-21T22:52:43ZengBMCBMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies2662-76712021-06-0121111310.1186/s12906-021-03334-xFacilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative studyComfort Asare0Lydia Aziato1Daniel Boamah2School of Nursing, Wisconsin International University College. GhanaDepartment of Adult Health, School of Nursing, University of GhanaCentre for Plant Medicine ResearchAbstract Background Herbal medicine administration in conventional health care services is gaining popularity lately. Much has not been documented on the perceived enhancers and challenges to herbal medicine administration at the hospital. The study sought to explore the facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana. Method Qualitative descriptive exploratory design was employed. Fourteen participants among the consented and purposively sampled nurses were interviewed. Data was transcribed and analysed using content analysis. Results The participants disclosed that facilitators to the clinical administration of herbal medicine include doctors’ prescription, affordability of herbal medications by patients, patients’ willingness to use herbal medicine and availability of herbal medicine. Barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine were inadequate knowledge on herbal medicine, lack of publicity, unclear integration, lack of collaboration and policies on herbal medicine administration at the hospital. Other barriers were negative mindset of patients and lack of national health insurance scheme (NHIS) coverage. Conclusion Clinical administration of herbal medicine is faced with an array of challenges. Doctor’s prescription, nursing education on herbal medicine and NHIS coverage of herbal medicine are imperative to improve herbal medicine administration in hospitals. Plain English summary Herbal medicine addition into mainstream health care services is surging high in many countries. This study aimed at finding out what nurses consider as the issues that make it easy or difficult to serve herbal medicine in the hospital. Qualitative method was employed, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted and data collected was typed verbatim. The typed data was content analysed and findings supported with the nurses’ statements. The findings of the study showed that facilitators to the clinical use of herbal medicine include doctors’ prescription, affordability of the herbal drug, patient’s willingness to use the herbal medication, patient’s belief about herbal medicine and availability of herbal medicine. Challenges to the clinical use of herbal medicine disclosed were lack of knowledge on herbal medicine, lack of publicity, unclear integration, lack of collaboration between health professionals and herbal medicine providers. Other barriers include negative mindset of patients and lack of national health insurance (NHIS) coverage. The researchers came to a consensus that nurses need further training on herbal medicine to enhance herbal medicine use at the hospital. Health professionals need to collaborate with herbal medicine service providers and NHIS must be reviewed to cover herbal medications.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03334-xQualitativeComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM)GhanaHerbal medicineFacilitatorsBarriers |
| spellingShingle | Comfort Asare Lydia Aziato Daniel Boamah Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Qualitative Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) Ghana Herbal medicine Facilitators Barriers |
| title | Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in ghana a qualitative study |
| topic | Qualitative Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) Ghana Herbal medicine Facilitators Barriers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03334-x |
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