A BUDDHIST INTEGRATED TREATMENT MODEL FOR CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract

In this research, three objectives were purposely made: 1) to study the care of patients who had undergone the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to the modern medicine, 2) to study the care of patients in accordance with the Buddhist guidelines, and 3) to propose the Buddhist integrated experimental results of the treatment model for patients who had undergone the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This research employed the quasi-experimental research methodology. The target population are patients who had undergone the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Inburi hospital Sing Buri province. Fifty people were selected through sampling where twenty-five people were divided into two groups: experimental and controlling groups and twenty-five numbers join each group. On the one hand, the experimental group was inspected through the Buddhist integrated methods, Manta chanting and practicing mindfulness on breathing one time in a day and each time took twenty-five minutes for four weeks continuously in addition to regular treatment, on the other hand, the regular treatment was prescribed to the controlling group. Here the dependent variables are pointed to the good quality of life and the physical health improvement of patients who had undergone the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease whereby the physical fitness gained from such experimentation was evaluated including two times of measurement of the quality of life, before and after experimentation. After that the data was analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Science Research (SPSS). Descriptive statistics were used to show general data of the sample group. The Standard Deviation of the scores of averages gained from the experimental and controlling groups was also analyzed by T-test.

The results showed that:

1. When it comes to the treatment of patients who had undergone the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to the modern medicine, it utilizes the holistic ideas of patient caring which cover the bodily mental, social and environmental aspects where two parts of care are given: 1) non-drug treatment, and 2) drug therapy whereby the physical performance and measurement of the quality of life are carefully evaluated.
2. In the treatment of patients according to Buddhist guidelines, it showed that the concept of treatment is given to both physical and mental illnesses where two types of diseases, physical and mental illnesses are indicated. Then the methods for the physical treatment are of the following ways: 1) herbal treatments, 2) techniques of healing, 3) chanting of the Buddha’s Manta, and 4) the curing of diseases is done through the mental development; this technique consists of Manta chanting for curing the diseases and practicing mindfulness on breathing.