The term "Complementary and Alternative Medicine" (CAM) describes a variety of approaches to medical theory and practice that have not been commonly accepted by representatives of conventional medicine. This is why research results from this field of medicine are seldom reported in well-established medical journals. Due to the high level of interest and demand for complementary medicine, though, there is an urgent need for a system covering the scientific literature of complementary medicine. Against this background, the chair of Medical Theory and Complementary Medicine at the University of Witten/Herdecke has launched the CAMbase project. The database can be accessed online and is free of charge or additional costs at www.cambase.de.
Methods: Using XML-based protocols, existing databases of Complementary and Alternative Medicine were imported and indexed in a central database for online retrieval. XML-based interfaces, which have been developed within this project (implementation of Open Archives Initiative protocols), can be used for embedding CAMbase into larger bibliographical networks.
Results: Since the relaunch of CAMbase in August 2003 an average of 107 search queries per day have been registered. An initial analysis of the search terms has demonstrated that CAMbase is not only used by scientists and researchers but also by both health professionals in clinical practice and patients in search for information about complementary therapies.
Perspectives: In the long term the accessibility of full-text versions of original publications on Complementary Medicine will have to be improved. The further development of CAMbase in co-operation with the Library of Witten/Herdecke University is currently being planned.