Integrative and Complementary Medicine in Healthcare: Practice, Research, and Innovation
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 56
Special Issue Editor
Interests: nursing; public health; complementary and alternative medicine/integrative treatment approaches; infection control; interventions for managing problems in community-dwelling elderly
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, Integrative and Complementary Medicine in Healthcare: Practice, Research, and Innovation. In recent years, the growing recognition of integrative and complementary medicine (ICM) has reshaped contemporary health practice by emphasizing holistic, patient-centered approaches that blend conventional and evidence-based traditional therapies. As global health systems face complex challenges—ranging from chronic disease management to mental well-being—ICM offers promising pathways to enhance quality of care, safety, and sustainability.
This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research, innovative clinical models, and translational studies that bridge science, tradition, and modern healthcare systems. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary contributions that explore evaluations and digital innovations supporting ICM practice. By advancing the scientific understanding and implementation of integrative approaches, this issue seeks to foster dialog among practitioners, researchers, and policymakers toward a more inclusive and holistic healthcare future.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Original research or clinical trials on therapies like acupuncture, auricular therapy, and herbal medicine.
- Chronic Disease Management: Applications in diabetes, mental health, and aging, including prevention strategies.
- Integration Models: Policy and clinical frameworks blending ICM with conventional care.
- Innovation and Technology: AI-driven diagnostics and telehealth in ICM.
- Article Types: Original articles, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, case studies, and perspective pieces on interdisciplinary ICM advances.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Lorna Kwai-Ping Suen
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- integrative medicine
- complementary therapies
- auricular therapy
- evidence-based ICM
- chronic disease management
- herbal medicine
- mind–body practices
- health policy integration
- AI in healthcare
- systematic reviews
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