Discover how systemic racism and implicit bias create inequity in the healthcare system and develop your own DEI strategic plan to address it.

The healthcare system hasn't escaped the racism, inequity, and bias present in societal structures. The first step toward rooting out and combating racism and discrimination across social identities in healthcare systems is through the awareness of the myriad forms of prejudice entrenched in them. It’s therefore crucial that healthcare leaders acknowledge and understand the social determinants of health that place marginalized population groups at higher risk for poor health outcomes. And it’s equally important to have a diverse healthcare workforce — which represents the community tapestry — to provide optimal care to diverse patient populations.

Learn how to mitigate health disparities and bias in the healthcare system in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Healthcare online short course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine. Guided by industry leaders and healthcare experts, you’ll examine why some population groups receive comparably worse healthcare than other groups. Throughout this six-week course, you’ll learn and apply specific DEI strategies to combat discriminatory practices while building a stronger patient-practitioner experience in the process. From an organizational perspective, you'll discover how recruitment policies, organizational change, and team dynamics can be enhanced through the active use of inclusive practices. Walk away with the knowledge and tools to help advance workplace equity for diverse individuals, and build a healthcare organization that prospers.

Is this course for you?

This course is for anyone interested in understanding and addressing systemic racism, societal biases across social identities, and public health disparities in healthcare while advancing DEI within their own organizations. Healthcare leaders and workforce managers will have the opportunity to engage with expert perspectives and gain a DEI-focused leadership tool kit. They’ll be equipped to understand how DEI manifests in the healthcare sector, and how it affects their management style and team dynamics. DEI professionals and healthcare students who are looking to navigate issues around racial, gender, and other identity-based discrimination within the healthcare sector will find the course content equally valuable.

Gain key scientific knowledge of how the body reacts and adapts to the stress of physical activity.

Exercise has been shown to relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, and help manage various diseases, yet only one in four Americans is meeting the recommended levels of physical activity.

The Exercise Physiology online short course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine, explores the fundamentals of physiology and builds on this foundation to foster a holistic, scientific knowledge of exercise and wellness. Over the course of six weeks, learners will gain an understanding of exercise science and the impact that physical activity has on slowing the trajectory of aging and improving general health. Throughout the course, learners will gain the skills needed to critique training programs, and suggest improvements to various physical environments, such as work spaces, schools, and cities, to improve health and wellness.

Is this course for you?

The nature of this course ensures that it’s applicable to professionals working within both the wellness and healthcare sectors. Learners will discover methods for improving the health and athletic performance of individuals, no matter their age, through an understanding of how different bodies react and adapt to the stresses of exercise. Professionals within the healthcare industry will learn about the impact that physical activity has on disease management. Those within the health and wellness industries will gain the tools needed to help their customers and patients achieve their fitness goals, whether that be weight loss, physical strength, enhanced performance, or healthy aging.

Harness the science of happiness to live a more meaningful and abundant life.

Scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and artists have long contemplated the essence of what it means to be happy. As the stressors of the modern world intensify, people the world over are seeking new techniques for attaining wellness. In the Positive Psychology and Well-Being online short course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine, you’ll learn how to become the best version of yourself by investigating the psychological, biological, and social principles of happiness.

Discover a holistic approach to well-being that incorporates the latest research from the fields of positive psychology, well-being theory, and the neuroscience of emotion. Over six weeks, you’ll uncover practical strategies for enhancing your own happiness every day. You’ll also explore how the ‘state of flow’, mindfulness and meditation, and spirituality can positively impact the well-being, and examine frameworks for understanding the role that relationships and group dynamics have to play in your life. Guided by leading faculty and a diverse range of subject experts, you’ll also learn what it takes to build resilience in the face of adversity and develop your ability to author your own well-being journey by formulating a tailored approach for the future. Walk away with a practical skill set for making meaningful life changes that maximize your personal and professional happiness, and an official certificate of completion from SCHE.

Is this course for you?

This course will prove valuable to anyone interested in achieving happiness in a personal or professional context. Those tasked with promoting self-improvements, such as healthcare and lifestyle professionals, nutritionists, wellness coaches and teachers, psychologists, trainers, and nurses will discover practical techniques for fostering lasting well-being. Individuals in more corporate settings, such as team leaders, wellness managers, HR professionals, and those responsible for mentoring or training employees will also gain relevant strategies for enhancing happiness in their life and career. Due to its unique multidisciplinary approach, the course will appeal to a broad range of learners, from those interested in the neuroscience behind well-being to those seeking to implement psychology-based concepts, to those simply wishing to lead a more productive and happy life.

Gain a practical, science-informed approach toward helping children be happier and healthier, with the tools to handle challenging behavior, encourage social connection, and support mental health.

It’s well known that childhood plays a significant role in the shaping of physically and mentally healthy adults. Positive social, environmental, and behavioral factors can contribute towards a child thriving in later life. However, not all children are the same: each requires a unique approach, and it’s imperative that the role of individual identity development within supportive environments is recognized.

Study child psychology from this important perspective in the Child Development: Behavior and Mental Health online short course, designed by child development experts from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine. By capitalizing on each child’s personal interests and motivations, you'll learn to create a space that fosters positive interactions and optimal learning. Over the course of six weeks, you’ll look at practical, science-based approaches to encourage a child’s innate learning abilities, and positive behavioral discipline techniques to prevent and address children acting out. You’ll also explore the impact of parenting and grasp the importance of a child’s social connection with adults and peers. Lastly, the course examines the steps you can take to support a child’s mental health, in order to help them develop in a healthy and happy way.

Is this course for you?

Professionals who engage with children, either in educational or healthcare contexts, will benefit from this practical, science-informed online course. These individuals will gain the techniques and knowledge to better support a child’s development while working in roles within the medical or healthcare industry, such as physicians, pediatric specialists, therapists, and social workers. Those within child-related occupations, including teachers, parents, caregivers, and school counselors, will have the opportunity to study positive child-rearing approaches and key developmental milestones. All learners will walk away with a clear, in-depth understanding of how to support and encourage a child as they develop — socially, emotionally, and physically.

Comprende la ciencia fundamental que es la base de la nutrición y cómo se relaciona con la salud y la prevención de enfermedades.

Como profesional de la salud o el bienestar, resulta crucial tener una comprensión sólida de la ciencia que sustenta la nutrición para brindar a los clientes y pacientes consejos informados sobre longevidad, vitalidad y manejo holístico de la enfermedad.

El curso corto virtual de Ciencias de la Nutrición le proporciona una base en nutrición, ya que explora la función de los micronutrientes y macronutrientes en el cuerpo, y cómo esto se relaciona con la salud humana en diferentes contextos del desarrollo humano.

Aprenderá a interpretar la evidencia nutricional y a realizar evaluaciones nutricionales y análisis alimentarios con la guía del renombrado profesor Christopher Gardner. Además, adquirirá conocimientos para reconocer el valor de una nutrición óptima en términos de cuidados preventivos y las habilidades para examinar de manera crítica la investigación contemporánea.

¿Este curso es para usted?

Este curso está dirigido a profesionales de la salud, incluidos médicos, terapeutas ocupacionales, dietistas, farmacéuticos y enfermeros, así como especialistas en estilo de vida como nutricionistas, instructores de acondicionamiento físico, entrenadores, educadores de la salud y escritores sobre alimentos. El plan de estudios está diseñado para ayudar a estos profesionales a expandir sus funciones actuales al proporcionarles el conocimiento y la estructura para asesorar a pacientes y clientes sobre los planes alimentarios para una vida saludable y la prevención de enfermedades.

Este curso se ofrece en español traducido. Se requiere dominio del inglés para navegar el curso, incluido el registro y el pago del curso, así como ciertos elementos del campus virtual.

La mayoría de los materiales didácticos y materiales de apoyo se han traducido del inglés original al español (tenga en cuenta que los videos tienen subtítulos). Las tareas y los comentarios se proporcionan en español. El apoyo académico y estudiantil está a cargo de hispanohablantes. El entorno de aprendizaje (campus virtual) está diseñado para ayudar a los hispanohablantes con dominio del inglés. El soporte técnico está disponible en inglés. Los certificados se proporcionarán en inglés.

Adicionalmente, se le pedirá que acepte los Términos y Condiciones en inglés que rigen el Curso. Se dispone de una copia en español aquí. Si hubiera algún conflicto entre las versiones en inglés y español de los Términos y Condiciones, prevalecerá la versión en inglés, según corresponda.

Explore the value of preventive interventions when managing key cardiovascular risk factors.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing more people now than ever before. Factors that increase the risk of heart disease include hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and lipid disorders such as high LDL cholesterol. Coronary artery disease is largely preventable by managing certain lifestyle-related risk factors and using evidence-based medication when appropriate.

As personalized strategies for prevention become more requisite, there is a clear demand for specialized expertise in the field. The Preventive Cardiology online short course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) offers a practical approach to the prevention of initial and recurrent events. Led by Dr. David Maron, director of preventive cardiology at Stanford Medicine, you’ll learn how to help your patients improve their eating patterns, increase levels of physical activity, lose weight, and stop smoking to lower their risk of CAD. You’ll discover how to assist patients in making behavior change, and when to prescribe medication to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis progression.

Is this course for you?

This course aims to empower medical and allied health professionals with a practical perspective to preventing first and recurrent cardiac events in patients. Medical professionals such as doctors, advanced practice practitioners, and nurses will gain critical awareness of current issues affecting the care of patients with or at high risk of coronary artery disease. The course offers advanced knowledge of preventive cardiology to facilitate shared decision-making with patients. Allied healthcare workers involved in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as dietitians, physiotherapists, nutritionists, psychologists, and pharmacists will benefit from the course’s focus on lifestyle-related risk factors and guideline-directed medical therapy. Wellness professionals in the vein of sports scientists, caregivers, and life coaches will develop a critical understanding of nutrition and other lifestyle factors in the development and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Gain the skills to empower your organization’s telehealth integration and remove barriers to healthcare.

Over the past year, telehealth — and its subcategory, telemedicine — has seen its usage spike dramatically as healthcare continues through a historically transformative period. By October 2020, virtual healthcare solutions had seen a 3,000 percent usage increase. The COVID-19 pandemic may help explain this boom to some extent, but the technology’s expansion is indicative of a long-term change in the way patients and healthcare workers interact, as telehealth offers a safe, efficient solution to many medical needs.

The Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) Telehealth: Strategy, Implementation, and Optimization online short course allows you to explore the strategic considerations and best practices of telehealth and telemedicine. Take the opportunity to examine the clinical, operational, financial, and legal factors of telehealth, and assess how this technology can become a bridge to equitable healthcare access. In the course, you’ll identify and learn to overcome telehealth’s risks and barriers, while equipping yourself to make the most of its opportunities. Finally, you’ll explore how to effectively empower your organization’s telehealth efforts in order to enable successful implementation and ongoing optimization of telehealth delivery.

Is this course for you?

As this online short course examines the requirements and potential of telehealth solutions, it holds benefits for professionals across the healthcare industry. If you’re a medical doctor, nurse, or healthcare specialist, this course will provide you with insights for implementing telehealth in your practice, while equipping you to make the case for its use to your employers and peers. If you’re a senior executive or manager in the healthcare industry, you’ll gain business, operational, legal and financial insights for telehealth implementation, as well as the knowledge to identify telehealth opportunities.

Unlock your full potential. Develop practical tools for enhanced personal and professional performance.

Everyone strives to be high-performing individuals. But how do you achieve more success and sustain it over time? Often, the key to unlocking higher peaks of excellence lies within your own approach to your well-being.

The Psychology for High Performance online micro-course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) equips you with practical tools to maximize your potential at work and beyond. Based on fundamental psychological principles, you'll unpack actionable strategies to optimize performance and gain self-awareness. You'll not only be provided with the theory to enhance your performance, but also be challenged to apply this theory through reflective and practical methods. Ultimately, you’ll examine the importance of exercise, nutrition, and sleep on physical and psychological well-being, and learn to build durable and effective habits.

Is this course for you?

This course is suited to individuals who are invested in their personal well-being and looking for additional tools to thrive personally and professionally. It’s applicable to working professionals in a multitude of roles and industries and offers both practical and theoretical opportunities to better understand one’s own actions, thoughts, and behaviors. These roles could include healthcare professionals and those in sports or wellness fields, but equally office professionals, technical specialists, aspiring managers and executives will benefit from the ability to unlock performance that this micro course offers.

Gain the practical tools to effectively lead innovative improvements in your healthcare setting.

Due to the rapidly evolving and complex nature of healthcare organizations, it’s crucial that they’re run effectively to positively influence how patients receive medical care. To be successful in this industry, healthcare professionals need to develop their leadership capacity and ability to adapt, respond to, and lead change.

The Healthcare Leadership online short course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) provides you with the leadership knowledge and skills to foster meaningful, long-term positive change in your healthcare setting. Over eight weeks, you’ll use practical tools to identify growth areas in healthcare systems and gain the ability to lead healthcare change initiatives. Guided by experts, you’ll develop effective strategies to maximize team performance, and discover how to harness the power of vulnerability to build trust and collaboration.

Throughout the course, you’ll engage with various systems improvement frameworks, learn to effectively manage and overcome a crisis, and improve your ability to make leadership decisions in high-pressure situations. Finally, you’ll explore the power of storytelling to achieve the full potential of yourself, your teams and your organization, and create an impactful narrative for change.

Is this course for you?

This course is suited to professionals who work in the healthcare sector and are looking to improve their capacity for leadership. Medical professionals will benefit from learning effective approaches for leading healthcare teams and organizations. This course is also designed for non-medical professionals who require the skills to effectively respond to changes and new demands in the healthcare sector. Experienced business leaders can also take advantage of this course by developing their ability to foster efficient healthcare systems and navigate complex problems.

Discover how the gut microbiome helps shape overall health.

Thriving research into the link between the gut and health gives new meaning to the adage ‘you are what you eat’. Beginning at birth, a community of 10-100 trillion microbes populates the human intestinal tract. Just as the body undergoes physiological changes, this invisible ecosystem — the gut microbiome — transforms and is shaped by what you eat and where you live. Now, studies show that microbes aren’t just good for the gut: they can impact the immune system too. Understanding the human microbiome in all its complexity has become a scientific and medical priority that could lead to industry-changing interventions and new potential for promoting overall wellness.

Discover the science behind human microbiota in the Gut Health and the Microbiome online micro-course from the Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE), part of Stanford Medicine. Over two short weeks, you’ll learn exactly what the microbiome is, how it’s integrated into human physiology, and the ways it can improve health and treat diseases beyond just the gut. Guided by Stanford Medicine experts, you’ll explore how the microbiome is targeted to treat a variety of disease states, and how it continues to guide precision health therapies of the future.

Is this course for you?

This course is suited to individuals who are interested in the characteristics of a healthy microbiome and the role it plays in nutrition and wellness. It’s applicable to allied health professionals who want to enhance their patients' well-being and quality of life. This includes fitness and wellness specialists, dietitians and nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and personal trainers. The micro-course will also benefit non-healthcare professionals and individuals who are interested in understanding how the gut functions, and optimizing their overall health through diet and lifestyle modifications.