Improve Health Equity in Your Community. Implement data to drive policy and community change.

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Associated with the Master of Public Health degree
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The Influence of Social Determinants on Health SpecializationUniversity of Michigan

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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Why are some groups healthier than others, and how do these differences emerge and persist over a lifetime? How do social policies on housing, transportation, and employment relate to health and health inequalities? This specialization will examine social, behavioral, economic, political, and structural factors that contribute to health inequalities, and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health to achieve health equity.You will learn, -Use conceptual models to understand health disparities in the U.S. and internationally. -Access and use high-quality data sources to present statistics that illustrate the social-environmental-health issues within a community. -Identify the main sources of these disparities from a population science perspective, and use public health evidence to inform policy efforts to address these disparities. -Conduct community health needs assessments and identify evidence-based interventions.

Applied Learning Project

Projects in each course within the specialization will focus on developing presentations that can be used to educate a wide variety of stakeholders (community, business, local government, healthcare, etc.) about the social determinants of health and their relationship to health in our communities to progress toward health equity.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Flexible Schedule

Set and maintain flexible deadlines.

Beginner Level

Approximately 3 months to complete

Suggested pace of 4 hours/week

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

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How the Specialization Works

Take Courses

A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.

Hands-on Project

Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.

Earn a Certificate

When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.

There are 3 Courses in this Specialization

Course1

Course 1

Social Determinants of Health

4.5

stars

17 ratings

This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve health equity.

This course will increase your awareness, knowledge, and understanding of issues related to behavioral, psychological, and structural factors that contribute to understanding population health and health inequities. We will discuss conceptual and methodological issues key to health professionals working towards achieving health equity to reduce health disparities at multiple levels of influence. There will be opportunities to practice skills involving cultural humility, deliberative dialogues and professional self-assessments. By the end of this course, you will be able to: Discuss the means by which structural bias, social inequalities and racism undermine health and create challenges to achieving health equity at organizational, community and societal levels

Course2

Course 2

The Influence of Social Context on Health

Why are some groups healthier than others, and how do these differences emerge and persist over the life course? How do social policies (e.g., housing, transportation, employment) relate to health and health inequalities? Why are there health disparities even in countries that have free universal health care? This course will address conceptual models for understanding health disparities in the US and internationally, how population science identifies the main sources of these disparities, and how public health can inform policy efforts to address these disparities.

After taking this course, you will be able to identify ways in which conditions in the healthcare setting and at work, school, and home influence health; identify models for considering how the social context provides both sources of stress and sources of support for health; and explain how social and physical environments, including schools and workplaces, the healthcare system, and neighborhoods, shape health and health inequalities over the life course.

Course3

Course 3

Assessing and Improving Community Health

4.3

stars

12 ratings

This course is intended to serve as an introduction to population health from both the vantage point of both public health and healthcare. We will examine the key components of community health needs assessments, how they are used, and how to compare population health assessments across subpopulations and time. We will also explore the epidemiological sources and criteria by which to select high quality data sources to estimate population health indicators and to select evidence-based interventions to improve population health. Finally, we will design multi sector collaborations that support the phases of population health improvement.

As a survey of the population health, the course provides an overview for students wishing no more than an introduction to the field, as well as good grounding for students who wish to pursue additional coursework in population health. After taking this course, you will be able to: - Explain differences between population health assessments for public health and healthcare. - Outline the key components of community health needs assessments (CHNA). - Compare how public health and healthcare will use a CHNA to improve population health. - Identify key population health indicators for social determinants of health. - Identify key population health indicators for mental health and opioid abuse. - Categorize data sources by epidemiologic criteria. - Analyze differences between subpopulations and across time trends. - Formulate multi sector collaborations that support population health improvement. - Outline a plan for population health improvement. - Evaluate evidence-based interventions based on epidemiologic criteria and community suitability.

Instructors

Offered by

University of Michigan

Start working towards your Master's degree

This specialization is related to the 100% online Master of Public Health from University of Michigan. It will provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors so you can decide if the full online degree program is right for you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Can I take the course for free?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

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The Influence of Social Determinants on Health Specialization

Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

Applied Learning Project