Institute of Complementary Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
University Hospital Zurich is one of the largest and most important teaching hospitals in Europe. With its 42 departments and institutes, the hospital is renowned for its achievements in health care, research and teaching, as well as for compassionate care. The Chair of Complementary Medicine at the University of Zurich and the Institute of Complementary Medicine at University Hospital Zurich (http://www.en.usz.ch) were institutionalized in 1994 (Reinhard Saller, MD, Professor and Chair). The Institute of Complementary Medicine is integrated in the Department of Internal Medicine – Oncology, together with Institute of General Practice, Division of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Division of Immunology, Division of Oncology and Division of Haematology.
The Institute of Complementary Medicine has tasks in research, teaching, and patient care for in- and outpatients of the University Hospital.
The Institute of Complementary Medicine provides a high level care for a broad range of patients, including cancer patients as a main focus. In the area of patient care, the inclusion of the patients´ individual perspectives, expectations, and experiences is a constitutive element of our complementary medical approach.
Rational phytotherapy is a central issue besides other disciplines of complementary medicine. Therefore in patient care as well as in research (experimental, epidemiologic, clinical research, and systematic reviews) phytopharmacology and phytotherapy are standing in the foreground, especially in respect to their impact on cancer patients.
