Integrative Therapies in Hospice and Palliative Care Program
• Support effective "whole-person" care •
• Gain confidence in understanding integrative therapies •
• Increase patient and family satisfaction with services •
• Help your organization be a leader in Integrative Care •
Meet Our Distinguished Course Faculty
A distinguished faculty of national experts lead this online program on the evidence-informed use of integrative therapies in palliative care settings.
Leila Kozak, PhD
Program Director | Integrative Palliative Care Institute
William Collinge, PhD, MPH, LCSW
Program Director | Integrative Palliative Care Institute
Susan Kristiniak, BSN, MSN, DHA
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
Daniel Hinshaw, MD
University of Michigan School of Medicine, and VA Ann Arbor
Gary Deng, MD, PhD
Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Patricia Dewey Lambert, PhD
Arts in Healthcare Management, University of Oregon
Caroline Hurd, MD
Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington
Candace Chaney, RN, PhD
Hospice Director, C-Integrative Health Services, LHC Group
David Zucker, MD, PhD
Cancer Rehabilitation Services, Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle
Lu Marchand, MD, RN
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Washington
Gayle MacDonald, MEd, LMT
Oncology Massage Education Associates, Portland, Oregon
Harold Bob, MD
Five Star Physician Services, and Center for Reiki Research
What You'll Get with this Program
For patients and family members: Be an empowered advocate for your own care or that of a loved one, with trustworthy and authoritative information about how integrative therapies can contribute to overall well-being. Select individual courses or the full program.
For professionals: The full 9-course outcome-tested program gives you everything you need to take your practice or organization to a new level of skill and effectiveness in delivering truly integrative care. Select individual courses or the full program.
Course 1: Introduction to Integrative Palliative Care provides a cross-cultural perspective on the evolution of “whole-person care” and “integrative care” in the US and abroad.
Courses 2 through 8 present the evidence-informed applications of the most common integrative therapies available to palliative care settings:
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
- Biofield Therapies
- Expressive Arts
- Massage and Touch Interventions
- Mind-Body and Contemplative Therapies
- Movement-Based Therapies
For each modality you will learn:
- Theory and mechanisms of action
- Common uses in palliative care populations
- Indications and contraindications
- Safety precautions
- Logistical and practical needs for delivery
- Cost and payment strategies
- Credentialing of providers
- Evidence for symptoms seen in palliative care
- Common questions and myths
- How to communicate about the modality with patients, family members and colleagues
Course 9: Transforming the Culture of Care addresses organizational culture change to embrace integrative care, how integrative therapies enhance the patient experience and satisfaction, payment and funding models, and the roles of caregiver education, community resources and academic partnerships.
Extras:
- Resource links in the courses provide access to more detailed information online as well as key studies.
- Evidence tables (downloadable PDFs with live PubMed links) summarize key studies on use of modalities with common symptoms seen in palliative care.
- Grading system based on the quality of evidence gives confidence ratings on use of specific treatment modalities for specific symptoms.
- Certificate in Integrative Palliative Care from IPCI on completion of the 9 course program.
Proven Impact!
The National Cancer Institute sponsored the original development of this educational program for health care professionals. In a randomized controlled trial with 170 physicians, nurses, social workers and other palliative care providers, the program led to highly significant positive impacts on learners, including:
- 78% increase in confidence understanding integrative therapies — safety precautions, evidence-based recommendations, explaining the modalities to others.
- 58% increase in practice activities that promote integrative care — including direct actions taken with patients as well as with colleagues and organizational change strategies.
See the full study published in the journal Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.
This is the first online continuing education program with documented impact on practice behaviors that promote integrative care.
High Relevance and Satisfaction
Participants in the research rated the program's relevance for symptom management, care planning, and improving services; their satisfaction with the overall content, teaching methods, and time invested; and their likelihood to recommend the program to a colleague. All ratings averaged 4 to 5 on a 5 point scale.
Two Formats Available
Self-Paced "FastTrack" Format. Suitable for patients, family members, advocates and professionals who don't need CE/CME credit. Learn at your own pace, and stream all content at your convenience.
Traditional CE/CME Format. Professionals receive up to 9 CE/CME credits from the National Alliance for Care at Home (formerly National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, NHPCO), a Jointly Accredited Provider of Interprofessional Continuing Education for the healthcare team. See details on accreditations here.
Certificate in Integrative Palliative Care. Completing the full program in either format qualifies you to receive the Certificate in Integrative Palliative Care. Those taking the FastTrack format complete a "Reflective Learning" exercise after each course, in which they write brief reflections on what they learned and how they can apply it in their setting. Those completing the CE/CME format receive their Certificate on submitting copies of their CE/CME credits to IPCI.
Choose the Full Program or Individual Courses
Full Program
Self-Paced "FastTrack" Format: $299
CE/CME Format: See Options
Individual Courses
To enroll in or learn more about an individual course just click its link below. Contact us for more information or support.
Course 1: Introduction to Integrative Palliative Care
Course 2: Acupuncture
Course 3: Aromatherapy
Course 4: Biofield Therapies
Course 5: Expressive Arts Therapies
Course 6: Massage and Touch Therapy Interventions
Course 7: Mind-Body and Contemplative Therapies
Course 8: Movement-Based Therapies
Course 9: Transforming the Culture of Care
What Palliative Care Professionals Say...
"I'm really grateful for the information shared — my overall comfort level with integrative therapies was quite low, so this has given me a foundation upon which I can continue to build knowledge. I'm looking forward to incorporating integrative therapies into my practice, and to sharing information about integrative therapies with my patients."
"The program is very informative and helpful. I am currently working with our new Spiritual Care Coordinator and one of our Palliative Care Providers to bring some of the resources and tools discussed to our staff and our patients. We are working to set up a resource room to provide some of the integrative therapies discussed for patients and staff. Also hoping to do some bereavement support."
"I really enjoyed the training. I primarily gained a structure for talking to patients about complementary interventions. I've really appreciated having this more enriched discourse for discussing these interventions with patients and found that being able to adeptly talk about them has patients feel less embarrassed or self-conscious about seeking them out."
"Today, in addition to guiding my oncology patient in basic meditation technique, I was able to recommend aromatherapy to him confidently, including information on how to use essential oils for anxiety. I also shared the intervention with my team, and the physicians in particular were excited to learn about the evidence base and strength of recommendation! It was very exciting! I really appreciated taking this course. "
"I'm so glad I watched these trainings before we started our Palliative Care program. We are finding ways to get these services to our patients once we start."