Integrative Medicine in Residency Education: Developing Competency Through Online Curriculum Training

Abstract

Introduction The Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) program, a 200-hour Internet-based, collaborative educational initiative was implemented in 8 family medicine residency programs and has shown a potential to serve as a national model for incorporating training in integrative/complementary/alternative medicine in graduate medical education.

Family Medicine Resident Perspectives on Curricula in Herbal Medicine

“…15 Regarding GME, evaluation of the Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) online course shows that only 8.6% of content hours are devoted to supplements (16/186 total hours). 18 In accordance with predictions from the TRA, findings in this study illustrated that perceived faculty norms and resident attitudes influence residents' intended behavior. Prior to the workshop, resident behavior was correlated with perceived faculty norms.…”

“…Completion time for the IMR course was 186 total hours (16 hours on supplements) vs 4 weeks for the fourth-year elective vs 1 hour for our workshop. 7,18 These differences in course duration may offer an opportunity for programs to improve participants' competence discussing supplements with patients without adding substantial course time to medical students' and residents' already packed schedules. This answers concerns expressed at both the MSE and GME level that one of the top barriers to integrating CAM content into the curriculum is finding time for it.…”

“…Due to previously reported medical student and resident discomfort advising patients about CAM, we hypothesized that residents perceive MSE and GME on supplements as inadequate; however, we hypothesized that residents would identify a greater need for supplement education in MSE, given recent GME expansion of supplement education without corresponding expansions in MSE. 7,[10][11][12][15][16][17][18] Based on principles from the theory of reasoned action (TRA), a well-established theory of human motivation and behavior, we hypothesized that both perceived faculty norms and resident attitudes would influence resident intentions and behavior. 19 Finally, we evaluated perceived utility of an innovative workshop in improving resident knowledge about supplements and intentions to address supplements with patients, hypothesizing that our curriculum would improve confidence about supplements and increase the proportion of residents intending to address supplements with patients.…”

Family Medicine Residency Program Directors Attitudes and Knowledge of Family Medicine CAM Competencies

“…8,19 There are several examples in the literature of successful implementation of curriculum by motivated residents and residencies open to CAM/IM. 7,20 …”

“…Now, there is an effort in incorporating CAM/IM curriculum into residency training. 7,8 As this new field emerges, family medicine residencies have struggled with how to implement the best of evidence based CAM and principles of IM into curriculum. 8,9 There are over 40 Family Medicine residencies that officially advertise CAM/IM in their program.…”