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- updated 2009-05-27
 

HerbalThink-TCM
Chinese herbal medicine software: reference, databases, study aids, tutorials

(Formerly: Traditional Chinese Herbal Sciences Self-Study Reference,
TCM Herbal Tutor & TCM Pulse Simulator)

The complete reference database, self-study guide, and self-testing program for physicians and health professionals. Comprehensive interactive-learning software, extensive clinical reference databases, and instructional material. For PC or Mac; now including full support for the newer Intel Macs.

Page contents.....

Copyright ©2002-2009 by RMH-Publications Trust; all rights reserved.



What you will achieve by using HerbalThink-TCM

HerbalThink-TCM is completely self-explanatory yet thorough, taking you step-by-step from the theory of Chinese herbology (traditional Chinese medicine or "TCM") to clinical applications. Topics include:

  • Assessing patterns of disharmony (patterns of symptom and clinical signs)
  • TCM tongue inspection, pulse palpation, and body-type analysis
  • Using the TCM materia medica (herbs)
  • Tailoring herbal formulas to individual needs
  • Detailed guidelines for clinical assessment and strategy
  • Integrating other aspects of health care, including counseling, diet, environmental toxicity

Many of the practical aspects of being an herbalist are also covered:

  • Ordering, storing, weighing, and preparing herbs and formulas
  • Herb taste testing and identification
  • Legal considerations
  • Office procedures, forms

HerbalThink-TCM provides the tools for you to:

  • Achieve increased clinical effectiveness in helping people overcome chronic, debilitating health conditions at lower total cost.
  • Satisfy a growing demand for quality herbal health care.
  • Gain competence and confidence in preparing for professional licensing or certification exams in Chinese herbology.
  • Gain insights into clients' health that lab tests may miss.
  • Apply TCM methods to both Chinese and Western herbs. (Many common "Western" herbs are already included in the TCM materia medica.)
  • Achieve increased self-sufficiency in your family's health care - a wise and relatively inexpensive form of extra health insurance.
  • Evaluate the qualifications and competence of herbalists if you require their services for referrals.
  • Understand the deeper philosophy of Chinese health care that will serve you in coping with new health controversies as they arise.
  • Appreciate the scientific (systematic, repeatable, and internally consistent) aspects of Chinese herbal health care.

Why interactive learning will help you gain clinical skills faster

HerbalThink-TCM allows you to study at home at your own pace, and includes a complete two-volume text (in both PDF and HTML format); detailed lesson plans; extensive database of TCM syndromes, symptoms, herbs, formulas; 60 clinical case reports; and sophisticated self-quizzing software that interactively monitors and displays your progress, progressively introducing and recommending new material as you demonstrate readiness.

The learning tools that form an integral part of the course are all designed to engage your mind, your senses, and your enthusiasm in interactive activities that simulate as closely as possible the types of thought processes that are crucial in clinical practice. Interactive computer-aided learning, when intelligently designed, is far superior to learning the old-fashioned way - passively listening to lectures and watching videos, and reading texts followed by multiple choice exams. Medical schools have figured this out almost a decade ago, and modern medical education increasingly involves clinical-case-oriented learning and use of simulators and computer-aided instruction before students are allowed to "practice" on real people. The following article explores in greater detail the types of skills that computer-aided learning can enhance:

Many TCM professionals and educators have commented on the widespread lack of basic health evaluation skills among many TCM college graduates and licensed practitioners. It is too easy to fall into the habit of choosing herbs and formulas based on simplistic medical diagnoses or even single symptoms. HerbalThink-TCM's Herbal Tutor module solves this problem by thoroughly testing you in the basic 130+ syndromes or symptom-sign patterns of traditional theory and all of the variations and permutations that you can expect to see clinically. Rarely do specific clients manifest a textbook pattern definition exactly, and learning to distinguish between likely possibilities is a crucial clinical skill that using the software will enhance.

The design team (Roger Wicke, Ph.D., and Curtis Kruse, M.S.) has extensive background in computer science as well as Chinese herbology; the material included in the software has been through several major revisions to fine-tune its effectiveness in teaching important concepts at RMHI since 1992. The course material is highly functional, visually well organized, and easy to use.


How HerbalThink-TCM fits into the curriculum at RMHI

HerbalThink-TCM provides a convenient way for international health practitioners to learn a substantial portion of the course material without the inconvenience of travel and taking time away from work. (Please note that anyone is welcome to purchase the software; one does not have to enroll as a student at RMHI to purchase it.)

RMHI's Levels 1-3 courses all use HerbalThink-TCM as their basic text and reference. (These courses require application for admission; see admissions information for tuition fees and schedule.) The Level-1 program comprises completing HerbalThink-TCM's Lesson Plan, which is estimated to require about 600 hours of study and reading time, based on surveys of RMHI graduates. Advanced study opportunities (Levels 2 and 3) are available through RMHI's e-learning and on-site seminar programs.

If you achieve high scores after using HerbalThink-TCM's Herbal Tutor software, this is a good indicator of your likelihood of successfully completing the requirements of the full professional education program. The self-testing software is fun, challenging, and realistically tests you on material that you will find invaluable in clinical practice. Previous graduates have found the course material and software to be useful in preparing either for RMHI exams or for other professional certification exams in Chinese herbology. Knowing you are well prepared allows you to take exams with confidence.


Comments from users

Roger has created a learning tool that goes far and above anything else I've seen in interactive learning for TCM. Working with the Herbal Tutor and games, the material almost "learns itself" -- that is, I learn it faster and easier than I ever would have thought possible without the effort or tedium of memorizing long lists of material.
--- Pauline Vaughan, MA, DAc - Upper Canada Centre for Oriental Medicine (Ontario)

Read what other health professionals and students of TCM herbology have said about HerbalThink-TCM.


Download HerbalThink Help files (instruction manual)

To learn more about what you can do with HerbalThink-TCM:

  • HTHelp_3_0_4_2.zip (1.1M) — Download
    Decompress the file (double-clicking it will usually work; or use any standard ZIP utility software) and read the "help.html" file inside the resulting decompressed folder for further instructions.

In the Help manual, see especially the slide shows for TCM Herbal Tutor and TCM Pulse Simulator to get a quick overview of features.

For audio-visual tutorials on how to use HerbalThink-TCM:


System requirements

Windows:

  • Windows 2000 or later (XP, Vista, 2003, 2000)
  • Java* 5.0 or later version
  • At least 256 MB free disk space, 512 MB RAM

* Java is standard freeware available from Sun Microsystems
        http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Macintosh:

  • OSX 10.4.6 or later recommended
  • Java* SE 5.0 or later version recommended (Java is included as part of OS X)
  • At least 256 MB free disk space, 512 MB RAM
  • Works on both PowerPC and Intel Macs

Features

The primary differences between HerbalThink-TCM Basic and Pro options are as follows:

  • Only the Pro option includes access to the complete TCM Herbal Tutor module, which is required for use in RMHI's Level-1 training program and is recommended for professional study.
  • Only the Pro option includes access to the complete TCM Pulse Simulator module, which allows you to create real-time video animations of a wide variety of palpated pulse qualities.

Option:  HerbalThink-TCM
Summary of features
Basic Pro
Help (instruction manual) YES YES
 
Traditional Chinese Herbal Sciences (TCHS)
Self-Study Reference (v2.0.7)
Access to all tables of contents and directories YES YES
TCHS Lesson Plans, 41 Lessons YES YES
TCHS volume 1: The Language and Patterns of Life YES YES
TCHS volume 2: Herbs, Strategies, and Case Studies YES YES
TCHS Database, 137 Syndromes YES YES
TCHS Database, 290 Herbs: traditional classifications and descriptions YES YES
TCHS Database, 254 Formulas YES YES
Clinical Case Database, 62 cases YES YES
Special Topics, 17 articles YES YES
 
TCM Herbal Tutor (v3.0.4.2)
    Quick overview of features: TCM Herbal Tutor slideshow (opens in new window)
Study Advisor Partial
(access to a small, limited data set)
YES
Database Tables with advanced search capability Partial
(access to a small, limited data set)
YES
 
TCM Pulse Simulator (v1.0.0.2)
    Quick overview of features: TCM Pulse Simulator slideshow (opens in new window)
Pulse Simulator No YES

 

Prices

HerbalThink-TCM
Options: Price (USD):
Basic $375
Pro $595

Shipping: Shipping is free within the U.S. Additional shipping/handling fees apply for international orders.

Refunds: If the software does not function correctly on your computer, and the RMHI support staff cannot help you determine the problem, you may return the software for refund or credit within 30 days from shipping date for U.S. orders, and within 45 days of shipping date for international orders.

Prices are subject to change.

Certification option: RMHI candidates for Level-1 Certification will pay an annual tuition fee in addition to the cost of the software. See "How to get started" for step-by-step instructions for enrolling if you wish to receive certification.

To order

Contact us — software orders

Version upgrades

To upgrade from a previous version, please contact us for current discounted prices.

HerbalThink-TCM Users' Forum

Commonly asked questions from registered users are posted on our HerbalThink-TCM Users Forum. Register your software, let us know if your e-mail address changes - registered users receive HerbalThink-TCM User News, a newsletter with tips on using the software, notice of special upgrade offers, etc.

 

Mac OS and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other marks are properties of their respective owners.


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