Health: Intro to Integrative Health

An introduction to integrative health with a focus on studying different medical systems, therapies, and treatments from around the world with an emphasis on the student's own self-care. Overview of social forces prompting the rise of integrative healthcare; the theory and practice of health professions included in integrative healthcare. Cultural and institutional views and processes shaping substance and delivery modes of healthcare in the U.S. Prerequisite: Integrative Health or Integrative Health Coaching minor.

PACE students only even after level restrictions are removed; Degree students register for HLTH 2010 OL1; Online Asynchronous Course; Cross-listed with HLTH 2010 OL1

This course is open to to Integrative Health minors, first years, and sophomores. Juniors and seniors admitted as space allows. (disregard the pre-requisite of sophomore standing). In this course, we will be discussing what integrative health care is, its origins, and the journey we have taken in America toward more integrative health care. We will be studying a variety of different "whole health" medical models dating back thousands of years as well as exploring (and experiencing) many different integrative therapies. What we now call Integrative Health Care is often described as person-centered care that merges the best of Western biomedicine and complementary and alternative medicines from around the world. But it's actually so much more than that. It's seeing health with a completely different lens. Besides that, how do we recognize what is best? And what do merge and integrate mean? This course will also examine the forces that are calling IHC forward as well as looking at the challenges of implementation. The goal is to equip students with a basic understanding of what IHC is, ideally and in practice, and the cultural and institutional views and processes that shape the substance and delivery modes of US health care today. Note the OL1 section is for undergraduates, OR1 section is for continuing ed (PACE) students.

This course is fully online in an asynchronous format (no formal meeting time). Modules with a variety of learning modes are released weekly, with recorded interviews, TEDtalks, articles and online readings as the basis for learning new information. Students are encouraged to try a new integrative therapy each week. Yellowdig conversations as well as a weekly journal are required parts of the course. There is also a semester long assignment that culminates with a final project.

Grades are based upon discussion board, weekly journal entries, varied homework assignments, and a final project.