One of the best things about a trip to a Chinese hospital (lots of bad things I know, but it’s not like I enjoy going to emergency in Canada) They ask you if you want Western Medicine or Eastern Medicine (TCM/Chinese Medicine). You can choose one, the other or both. It is so nice when they can co-exist and are covered by global health insurance even my Canadian one!!!
One of the interesting complaints that I heard by Chinese when visiting doctors in Canada is they care about the numbers not the patient. I have found it to be true. Once during a visit with a specialist in Canada, the doctor walked in looking at the ‘chart’ talked for a few seconds and then walked out with out ever looking me in the eye. When visiting a Chinese doctor in Canada or China most of the time is listening to your experience of symptoms and asking some key questions as well as looking at your tongue and checking your pulse.
In China you keep your medical records with you and store it at home. It is not a big secret like in Ontario where you cannot even get your own test results with out written permission from your doctor. I am told in Alberta that is not the case you can get your results from the lab.
I personally have had much better results with TCM and other alternatives than with western medicine.