The role of traditional medicine in providing palliative care and improving the quality of life: a survey on patients’ knowledge and utilization in Kumasi metropolis, Ghana

TL;DR

This study explores how traditional medicine is used in palliative care and improves quality of life in Kumasi, Ghana, finding high patient knowledge and satisfaction.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into patient perceptions and utilization of traditional medicine for palliative care in a Ghanaian context.

Findings

81.04% of patients showed strong knowledge of traditional medicine in palliative care.

97.39% of participants recognized herbal medicine as a common form of traditional treatment.

99.53% acknowledged traditional medicine's role in palliative care and its accessibility.

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the utilization of traditional medicine items exceeds that of conventional medications by two to three times on a global scale. Ghana's health system has seen numerous changes and revolutions since gaining political independence, but the nation still struggles to offer its rapidly expanding population an adequate, suitable, complete, and efficient healthcare system. This study assessed the role of traditional medicine in providing palliative care and improving the quality of life while focusing on patients’ knowledge and utilization.

A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed for the study. The study population consisted of patients who were receiving traditional medical treatment for health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension in the Kumasi metropolitan area. A multi-stage sampling technique was deployed in the study of which 440 participants made up the total sample.

The findings of the study revealed that a substantial proportion of patients (81.04%) demonstrated a strong knowledge of traditional medicine within the context of palliative care. Awareness of traditional medicine was universal among participants (100%), with herbal medicine being the most commonly recognized form (97.39%). Additionally, nearly all participants (99.53%) acknowledged the potential role of traditional medicine in palliative care and affirmed its accessibility (98.82%).

Patients extensively used alternative medicine and showed strong contentment with its success, noting notable enhancements in their health. A lot of people suggest converting traditional medicine into modern dosage forms in order to improve health outcomes and quality of life.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-025-04961-4.