There is strong demand for alternatives to pharmaceuticals for a variety of common illnesses due to concerns of safety, efficacy, and a desire for more “natural” products. Despite this growing interest, “conventional” healthcare providers may have little to no knowledge about herbal medicines, which is further compounded by the sometimes misleading information in the media and on the internet. This course provides the necessary background for providers to begin to incorporate herbal medicines into their practice, particularly in regards to their therapeutic properties, efficacy (or lack thereof), and safety concerns, including quality control and potential adverse effects.
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Integrative Health and Medicine SpecializationUniversity of MinnesotaAbout this Course
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Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 3 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
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Intermediate Level
Practicing healthcare professional or healthcare student, but anyone can benefit from this course for personal use.
Approx. 18 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
What you will learn
Discuss the role of herbal medicines in healthcare overall as well as your potential role.
Discuss overall botanical actions and methods for creating botanical preparations.
Assess patients, including potential for herb-drug interactions and other potential contraindications and considerations for special populations.
Educate patients on quality control and safety issues.
Skills you will gain
herbal preparationsintegrative caresymptom managementbotanical safetyevidence-based practice
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 3 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Intermediate Level
Practicing healthcare professional or healthcare student, but anyone can benefit from this course for personal use.
Approx. 18 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 hours to complete
Herbal Medicines in Healthcare
2 hours to complete
11 videos (Total 76 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
11 videos
What is Herbal Medicine and How is it Used?7m
Are Dietary Supplements and Natural Medicines also Botanicals?4m
How are Botanicals Different than Pharmaceuticals?8m
Case Study: Sophia, 266m
Who’s Using Botanical Medicines?10m
Your Role as a Healthcare Provider9m
Case Study: Enrique, 5810m
Botanical Laws and Regulations in the U.S.3m
Challenges in Botanical Medicine Research6m
Evaluating and Selecting Research Sources6m
5 readings
Comparing Pharmaceuticals and Botanicals5m
Assess, Educate, Advise Model5m
DSHEA Quick Facts5m
Checklist for Evaluating a Research Study10m
Week 1 References1m
1 practice exercise
Botanical Basics30m
4 hours to complete
Using Botanicals Safely
4 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 32 min), 6 readings, 4 quizzes
5 videos
How Do Botanicals Interact with Pharmaceuticals?6m
Special Patient Populations6m
Third-Party Testing of Botanicals5m
Shopping for Botanicals7m
6 readings
A Closer Look at Contaminants and Adulterants15m
Your Role as a Healthcare Provider10m
Common Botanicals That May Cause Herb-Drug Interactions15m
Risks for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Patients5m
Third-Party Testing Organizations10m
Safety Guidelines for Purchasing Botanicals5m
4 practice exercises
Herb-Drug Interactions30m
Recommending Botanicals to Special Populations30m
Third-Party Testing Organizations Web Review25m
A Day at the Clinic30m
2 hours to complete
How Do Botanical Medicines Work?
2 hours to complete
9 videos (Total 44 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes
9 videos
Botanical Actions for Pain and Stress5m
Botanical Actions for Gastrointestinal and Upper Respiratory Ailments6m
Botanical Actions that Support the Immune and Nervous Systems5m
What are Botanical Preparations?5m
Water-Based Preparations4m
Other Preparation Types5m
DIY Herbal Infusion2m
DIY Herbal Macerate3m
3 readings
Botanical Actions Reference Sheet15m
Botanical Preparations Reference Sheet10m
Make Your Own Herbal Infusions and Macerates5m
2 practice exercises
Types of Botanical Preparations30m
Botanical Actions and Preparations Workshop10m
4 hours to complete
Botanical Medicines for Mental Wellbeing, Women's Health, and Musculoskeletal Pain
4 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 22 min), 12 readings, 2 quizzes
7 videos
Botanicals for Mental Wellbeing4m
Botanicals for Women's Health3m
Botanicals for Musculoskeletal Pain2m
Botanicals for Migraine Headaches2m
Peppermint Essential Oil for Headaches3m
Assessing, Educating, and Advising Patients1m
12 readings
Botanicals for Mental Wellbeing15m
Botanicals for Mental Wellbeing Reference Sheet15m
Botanicals for Mental Wellbeing Research Guide15m
Botanicals for Women’s Health15m
Botanicals for Women’s Health Reference Sheet15m
Botanicals for Women’s Health Research Guide15m
Botanicals for Musculoskeletal Pain10m
Botanicals for Musculoskeletal Pain Reference Sheet10m
Botanicals for Musculoskeletal Pain Research Guide10m
Botanicals for Migraine Headaches5m
Botanicals for Migraine Headaches Reference Sheet5m
Botanicals for Migraine Headaches Research Guide5m
2 practice exercises
Assessing, Educating, and Advising Patients40m
Latisha, Maria, and George20m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM HERBAL MEDICINE
by EEJul 16, 2020
I loved this course. I became passion about Botanical now. The way is explained, so clear and so complete. I totally recommend it! for those that are interested in a more natural approach of medecine.
by MWMar 31, 2019
Very good course and it suits for everyone who likes herbal medicine.The instructor and a presentation doing very well for a course.I really like it and will keep going on for my botanical approach.
by ZDSep 20, 2020
Although I have already learned a lot regarding botanical treatments, I got a few very precious new infos during the course. Really enjoyed the videos and the well structured material. Thank you!
by JFSep 15, 2020
I'm glad to be a part of this course. As it changed my entire perspective about utilizing botanicals. And I have learned that which type of data should be searched about to gather information.
About the Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization
If you want to help your patients or clients manage conditions or symptoms such as pain and anxiety, this specialization will provide the knowledge and skills needed. In these five courses, you will explore integrative therapies, including herbal medicine, guided imagery, aromatherapy, and mindfulness. For each therapy studied, you will gain skills to: Assess if a therapy is appropriate, Educate patients or clients about benefit and risk, Administer or advise on use, and Evaluate if the therapy was useful (our AEAE approach).
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
- The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
- The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Can I get continuing education (CE) credit for this course?
Nursing: This course has been designed to meet Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education (CE) requirements for 15 contact hours and may be eligible for CE credit from other professional boards that allow self-documenting of continuing education activities. It is your responsibility to check with your regulatory board to confirm this course meets your local requirements and, if necessary, to provide them with the certificate of completion you get if you pay for and fulfill all the requirements of this course.
Health Coaching: This course is approved by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) for 15 continuing education units (CEP #100057). Retain the certificate of completion for this course for your records.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.
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