Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical pathways (CPs) are structured guidelines introduced to improve healthcare quality and efficiency. In South Korea, CPs for Korean medicine have been developed since 2016 under the 3(rd) Comprehensive Plan for Korean Medicine Promotion, with limited studies on their clinical application. Neck and shoulder pain are common conditions frequently treated at Korean medicine clinics, often by patients dissatisfied with conventional treatments. The demand for Korean medicine treatments for neck and shoulder pain is on the rise. AIM: To evaluate the clinical applicability and effectiveness of Korean medicine CPs for neck pain and shoulder pain in public healthcare institutions in South Korea. METHODS: We collected and analyzed data from patients aged 19 years and older who visited the outpatient clinic of the Department of Korean Medicine at the National Medical Center in Korea from March 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023. CP completion rates, along with patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and economic outcomes between the CP-implemented and non-CP groups were assessed. RESULTS: The CP completion rates were 93.3% for neck pain and 96.8% for shoulder pain. Patient satisfaction scores showed an improvement of 17.7% for neck pain and 18.0% for shoulder pain in the CP-implemented group compared to the non-CP group. For neck pain, significant improvements were observed in the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the neck disability index, while for shoulder pain, only the University of California-Los Angeles shoulder rating scale showed notable progress, with no substantial change in NRS scores. CONCLUSION: This study partially confirms the clinical applicability and effectiveness of the Korean medicine CPs for neck pain and shoulder pain. Further research is required to enhance and validate these findings.