[Complementary medicine in Israel].

Over the past two decades there has been an increase in the use and popularity of complementary medicine in Israel. Currently, there are over 100 complementary medicine clinics in the public health sector supported by the four health funds and most hospitals in Israel. The number of visits to those clinics reaches close to 3 million visits annually. This reflects an extensive system of care that Israelis utilize in addition to the conventional heaLthcare system. However, the communication between the two systems is still Limited and the education of complementary medicine providers is not regulated by the Ministry of Health. Concurrently, there are a growing number of physicians who expand the knowledge on these therapies and actually integrate them in patients' care. This issue describes experiences and knowledge related to the integration of complementary medicine in the Israeli healthcare system and provides additional research data in support of further integration of complementary medicine within conventional healthcare.