02647nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260003400042653005700076653002100133653002800154653001900182653001000201653001800211653002400229653002600253653004000279100001500319700001900334700001200353700002000365700001300385245015800398856008100556300001200637490000700649520166400656022002502320       2022                            d  bOxford University Press (OUP)10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aGeneral Medicine10aHealth (social science)10aAshanti region10aGhana10aHealth system10aindigenous medicine10aIntegrated healthcare10atraditional medicinal practitioners1 aAmpomah IG1 aMalau-Aduli BS1 aSeidu A1 aMalau-Aduli AEO1 aEmeto TI00aIntegrating traditional medicine into the Ghanaian health system: perceptions and experiences of traditional medicine practitioners in the Ashanti region  uhttps://academic.oup.com/inthealth/article-pdf/15/4/414/50796729/ihac059.pdf  a414-4270 v153 a<p><strong>Background:</strong> Traditional medicine (TM) plays a vital role in the Ghanaian health system by serving as an alternative healthcare delivery system for the majority of people. However, the quality of practice and level of TM practitioners’ involvement in the integration of TM into the health system have not been fully investigated.</p>

<p><strong>Methods:</strong> This study employed a phenomenological qualitative study design to explore the perceptions, experiences and recommendations of TM practitioners in the Ashanti region regarding TM integration. Data were collected through individual interviews with 17 participants.</p>

<p><strong>Results:</strong> Participants had knowledge about TM integration. They cited effective alternative healthcare delivery and improved patient outcomes as the key benefits of TM integration. However, they reported a shortage of approved TM products, poor visibility of TM integration and poor relational coordination of care as factors hampering the integration. Participants recommended improved interprofessional relationships, provision of financial support and improved publicity of TM as possible strategies to enhance TM integration in Ghana.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The findings of the study clearly demonstrate that the Ghanaian health system is currently operating a consumer-led, tolerant health system with a parallel (between orthodox and TM practitioners) healthcare delivery model. Successful implementation of an effective TM integration would require improved integrative collaborative coordination of care between orthodox and TM practitioners in Ghana.</p>
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