Complementary and Alternative Medicine

This course provides educational information and does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or clinical judgment.

What You Will Learn

• 1 Learn the foundational definitions, history, and classification systems used to organize complementary and alternative medicine practices
• 2 Understand the regulatory and legal landscape governing alternative medicine providers, products, and claims in the United States
• 3 Learn the major domains of alternative medicine including biologically based practices, manipulative therapies, and energy-based approaches
• 4 Understand traditional whole medical systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Naturopathy and their theoretical frameworks
• 5 Learn mind-body practices including meditation, yoga, and biofeedback and their documented applications in patient support
• 6 Understand herbal and dietary supplement safety, interactions, and quality control considerations for patient education
• 7 Learn communication strategies for discussing complementary and alternative medicine use with patients in a nonjudgmental, informative manner
• 8 Understand integrative medicine models and how conventional and alternative practices are coordinated within care teams
• 9 Learn documentation, disclosure, and informed consent practices specific to complementary and alternative medicine in patient records
• 10 Understand research methodology challenges and evidence evaluation standards applied to alternative medicine studies
• 11 Learn insurance, reimbursement, and health system policy considerations affecting complementary and alternative medicine access
• 12 Understand ethical considerations, cultural competency, and future trends shaping the integration of complementary and alternative medicine