Complementary medicine includes a variety of different treatment methods that can usefully supplement conventional medical procedures, such as acupuncture to relieve pain, mind-body methods such as yoga, mindfulness and breathing exercises to reduce stress and the use of herbal preparations such as St. John's wort for depression.
Integrative medicine combines established conventional therapies with selected, scientifically proven complementary medical approaches. The aim is to create a coherent, individually tailored treatment concept for patients that takes into account both their physical and psychosocial needs.
Mind-body medicine is also used in integrative medicine. It is a modern, scientifically researched concept that combines body and mind. The aim is to teach people self-help strategies that support both prevention and existing complaints. Through various combined procedures, symptoms can be alleviated, well-being strengthened and confidence in one’s own ability to help shape health improved.
Oncology is an important field of application for complementary and integrative procedures. During the course of their cancer treatment, many patients are interested in additional services that can alleviate symptoms, reduce side effects or improve their quality of life. Depending on the type of tumor, up to 90 percent of those affected use complementary medical therapies. This broad demand has led to the development of increasingly specialized services for integrative oncology.
The Swiss Network for Integrative Oncology (SNIO) was founded in 2024. It brings together specialists from various oncology clinics in Switzerland who offer integrative oncology concepts in addition to established cancer medicine. The network is committed to ensuring the quality of care, strengthening education and training and further developing research in the field of integrative oncology. The University Hospital Zurich is a member.
Integrative health is an overarching concept that not only includes medical therapies, but also takes into account lifestyle, environment, social conditions and the entire healthcare system – with the aim of promoting long-term well-being, resilience and health literacy. It is defined** as a state of well-being of body, mind and spirit that reflects aspects of the individual, the community and the population as a whole.
It is influenced by:
Integrative health encourages individuals, social groups and communities to develop lifestyles that promote meaning, resilience and well-being across the life course.
*Definition from: Witt, C. M., Balneaves, L. G., Cardoso, M. J., Cohen, L., Greenlee, H., Johnstone, P., Kücük, Ö., Mailman, J., & Mao, J. J. (2017). A comprehensive definition for integrative oncology. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs, (52), 10.
**Definition from:_Witt, C.M., Chiaramonte, D., Berman, S., Chesney, M.A., Kaplan, G.A., Stange, K.C., Woolf, S.H. & Berman, B.M. (2017). Defining health in a comprehensive context: A new definition of integrative health. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 53(1), 134-137
Many people in Switzerland resort to methods such as acupuncture, herbal preparations, methods from Mind Body Medicine, for example yoga, meditation or relaxation techniques. In 2024, two thirds of Swiss people stated that they had used complementary medicine.
In 2009, the Swiss electorate approved the inclusion of complementary medicine in the Federal Constitution. Article 118a BV (“Complementary medicine”) was approved. This obliges the Confederation and the cantons to take complementary medicine into account within their areas of responsibility.
Compulsory health insurance (OKP) covers the costs of medical services for acupuncture, anthroposophic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, classical homeopathy and phytotherapy.
Other procedures or complementary medical services provided by therapists may be reimbursed by supplementary insurance. It is advisable to check with your own health insurance company in advance if you require supplementary insurance benefits.
Complementary and integrative medicine has a long tradition at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ). Since 2026, it has been even more firmly anchored and integrated into three specialist areas of the USZ, which work closely together.
The Department of Internal Medicine in the Medical Polyclinic provides an ideal environment for visibly and sustainably integrating the Complementary and Integrative Medicine consultation hours into patient care. Patients will benefit from this, as will the next generation of doctors, whose training spectrum will be expanded to include integrative approaches.
In addition, the existing online self-care offering at the Cancer Center will be further expanded. These digital services enable patients to use complementary strategies to improve their well-being, symptom management and quality of life flexibly and from any location.
The Chair of Complementary and Integrative Digital Health is based at the Institute of Family Medicine and is dedicated to future-oriented research and teaching in the field of complementary and integrative medicine.
We work integratively and alongside conventional medicine. We look at people as a whole. We take the individual situation of our patients into account in our treatments and recommendations.
We offer digital self-care services and a consultation hour to patients who wish to receive complementary medical treatment alongside or following their antitumor therapy.