Stated Purpose

In this app, our Integrative Medicine Service — under the leadership of a pharmacist and botanicals expert — provides comprehensive, objective information about herbs, botanicals, supplements, complementary therapies, and more. Each topic has a clinical (professional) summary and a consumer (layperson) summary. For each topic mechanisms of action, warnings, contraindications, adverse events, and drug-herb interactions are listed. 

More than 200 monographs describing the structure, purported uses, adverse effects, and drug interactions of various herbs, botanicals, supplements, complementary therapies, and more. The consumer summaries have a “purported uses” section.

Features

​Browse alphabetically, search, bookmark, professional and consumers. Easy to use, beautiful design 

Screenshots

Specialties/Disciplines

Patients and health professionals, public. 

Oncology and general

Notes

Can be used by professionals and patients

Part 1: Editorial committee, content updates, and evidence grading

The app is relatively basic without a grading system. Nonetheless, we both like the app and think it is very useful because the content is evidence based, trustworthy, high quality, regularly updated, and easy to access.

Part 2: Source and authorship information for 3 entries

We would have preferred a more transparent approach to authorship but the content is well researched, professionally written and frequently updated. All entries follow the same structure (protocol), they are consistent and comprehensive. 

Organization of information

You have to know what you are looking for. No autocorrect.

Navigation

The icons/links for each item are large and clear.

Extras

Bookmarks are available.

User Account required: No

Internet connection required for use: No

Text search field: No

Browsable content: No; A-Z list 

Advertisements: No

Pop-up advertisements: No

In-app purchases: No

Devices 

Compatible with iPad, Phone, and iPod touch devices.  Requires Apple iOS 8.0 or later. https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/about-herbs/id554267162  Last updated (as per App store listing): app version 1.3 (updated October 2019).

Compatible with Android: A web app version for all other mobile devices is also available.  

Size

56.2 MB

App Developer

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Integrative Medicine Service

Country of Origin

USA

Contact

Twitter, Facebook, website: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/diagnosis-treatment/symptom-management/integrative-medicine/herbs/e-mail-us

Phone: 212-639-2000