By the second decade of the 21st century, evidence-based medicine (EBM) had entered into a mature period, where the complexities of what constituted good evidence were accepted and evidence-based decision making became widely accepted by allied health areas (complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional Chinese medicine, (TCM)). Research in the field of evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine (EBCAM) and traditional Chinese medicine (EBTCM) has provided scientific evidence to support their use in clinical practice.

Since EBM was formally advocated and promoted in the field of TCM in 1998 in China, EBTCM has developed rapidly and demands that the practice of TCM be founded on scientifically trustworthy empirical evidence. Constant advances in information technology and other areas have encouraged optimism in the application of potential TCM interventions. Subsequently, research trends have highlighted these methods and technologies continue to emerge. These have included the development of information analysis technologies (i.e., big data mining, artificial intelligence), multiple synthesis methods of evidence (i.e., scoping reviews, overview, and rapid review), and different research models and paradigms (i.e. mixed methods research, real world studies, and health technology assessment). As a result, important changes in evidence-based CAM and TCM will influence the development of standards for clinical research and practice.

This Special Issue provides a platform to gather information on research hotspots. The importance of interdisciplinary issues in evidence-based CAM/TCM will enable the sharing of experiences in implementing different methodologies, identify key components, results, challenges, and lessons learned, and will present ideas for the development and innovation of evidence-based CAM/TCM. This is a call for original research papers of high scientific quality as well as review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Evidence based evaluation in CAM/TCM such as health technology assessment and drug clinical comprehensive evaluation
• Studies to explore the experience and preferences in clinical practice of CAM/TCM such as mixed methods research, narrative medicine, and qualitative research
• Studies on evidence and decision support system in CAM/TCM
• Development of core outcomes for trials in CAM/TCM
• Different kinds of evidence synthesis methods such as scoping, review, overview, rapid review, systematic review, scientometric, and bibliometric analysis
• Newest clinical practice guideline or expert consensus in CAM/TCM
• Real world studies in CAM/TCM