Course Description
The Stanford Center for Health Education (SCHE) presents an innovative and comprehensive course designed to equip you with essential skills for navigating the complex health information ecosystem. This intermediate-level course offers a deep dive into the intricate world of health communication, providing you with invaluable strategies to identify, interpret, and disseminate credible health information effectively.
What You Will Learn
- A thorough understanding of the health information ecosystem and its various components
- Techniques to identify and evaluate sources of health news
- The impact of virality on health information, misinformation, and disinformation
- Methods to distinguish between credible and false health information
- Strategies to counter information disorder in healthcare
- Effective communication techniques for handling difficult conversations in healthcare settings
- Approaches to engage with bad news, adapt to changing mindsets, and manage feedback in healthcare contexts
Prerequisites
This course is designed for intermediate-level learners and does not have any specific prerequisites. However, a basic understanding of healthcare concepts and an interest in health communication would be beneficial.
Course Content
- The structure and dynamics of the health information ecosystem
- Sources and credibility of health news
- Virality and its impact on health information spread
- Identification and engagement with credible vs. false health information
- Strategies to combat misinformation and disinformation in healthcare
- Crafting effective messages to counter information disorder
- Communication styles for conducting difficult conversations in healthcare
- Techniques for engaging with bad news and changing mindsets
- Best practices for giving and receiving feedback in healthcare settings
Who Should Take This Course
- Healthcare professionals seeking to enhance their communication skills
- Public health officials and policymakers
- Health journalists and communicators
- Medical students and researchers
- Anyone interested in improving their ability to navigate and communicate health information effectively
Real-World Applications
How learners can use these skills in the real world:
- Healthcare professionals can use these strategies to communicate more effectively with patients and colleagues, leading to improved patient outcomes and team collaboration.
- Public health officials can better combat misinformation during health crises and implement more effective health communication campaigns.
- Health journalists can improve their ability to identify and report on credible health information, contributing to more accurate public health knowledge.
- Medical researchers can enhance their communication of complex scientific findings to both peers and the general public.
- Individuals can become more discerning consumers of health information, making better-informed decisions about their own health and well-being.
By mastering the concepts taught in this course, learners will be well-equipped to navigate the ever-changing landscape of health information, contribute to the dissemination of accurate health knowledge, and play a crucial role in combating misinformation in the healthcare field.
