Designing and Implementing DegreePrograms in Complementary and Integrative Healthcare

Use of complementary and alternative healthcare has grown rapidly with more than one-third of U.S. adults reporting that they have utilized alternative healthcare treatments. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and Association of Academic Health Centers identified deficiencies in knowledge in alternative healthcare in the training of the U.S. healthcare workforce. Faculty came together to examine the educational preparation needed to prepare healthcare professionals with the knowledge and experiences to effectively advance complementary and alternative healthcare practices. Initial efforts involved group discussions over critical concerns, exploration of current research and trends in CIH, and identification of the recommendations for curricular reform initiatives that emerged from the IOM Panel on Health Professions Education, White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine , the National Institutes of Health, and National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine. The planning process involved extensive consultation with many stakeholders, including our faculty, interested organizations, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, and prospective students. Through iterations of creation, revision, and evaluation, learning goals and objectives were articulated and developed for both a certificate program and a Master's Degree. In collaboration with University program development processes, learning goals, effective learning outcomes were established for each of the twelve courses in the program. Finally, course texts and assignments were aligned to each other and to learning goals through development of a comprehensive curriculum map. Challenges faced in designing the program to address the evidence-based needs, guidelines for curriculum and assessment development, and tools for replication in other institutions will be shared.