Whole-Systems Research in Integrative In-Patient Treatment

Call for Papers

Integrated medicine combines the treatment by conventional medicine and complementary alternative medicine (CAM), for which there is evidence of safety and effectiveness. It, therefore, joins the latest scientific advances with the most profound insights of traditional healing systems to regain and preserve health and to assist the patient's own capacities to recover from illness.

In the last decades, several hospitals have adopted the concept of integrative medicine for the treatment of chronic and acute states of illnesses in in-patient treatment. This includes hospitals with a special focus on naturopathy, anthroposophical medicine, homeopathy, or traditional Chinese medicine. From those centers of integrative medicine, a variety of high-quality clinical studies in special therapies like acupuncture, leeches therapy, or phytotherapy have been rolled out and published. However, concept evaluations of the approach of integrative medicine as a whole system and its interactions with other services of patient care have only been seen marginally.

We, therefore, invite authors to present original research articles and review articles that focus on whole-systems research in integrative patient treatment both from the perspective of health system and clinical research. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Whole-systems evaluation of integrative in-patient treatment
• Meta-analyses, realist reviews, and systematic reviews of integrative in-patient treatment
• Patient characteristics and flow processes between in- and out-patient treatment
• Studies in the quality of care of integrative in-patient treatment (quality management)
• Occurrence of adverse effects in integrative in-patient treatment
• Staff satisfaction and identification with integrative medicine
• Concepts of combining teaching and in-patient integrative treatment
• Hypotheses and models regarding the mode of action (amenable to empirical testing)

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Thomas Ostermann, Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, 58313 Herdecke, Germany

Guest Editors

• Vassya Bankova, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, Bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
• Andre Michael Beer, Department of True naturopathy, Blankenstein Hospital, Im Vogelsang 5-11, 45527 Hattingen, Germany
• Andreas Michalsen, Department of Internal and Complementary Medicine, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany