What is healthcare, and why is it important to learn about?

Healthcare is the prevention and treatment of illness as well as the improvement of wellbeing by medical professionals. This term can be used to describe healthcare provided to individuals, but often refers to the healthcare delivery systems responsible for providing health services to communities more broadly, including entire countries. Access to healthcare is thus important for promoting and maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of the general public. Healthcare is especially important to learn about because it is becoming more complex as health economics change. In the United States and other countries, the question of how to provide affordable and effective health insurance has been a politically challenging one, as healthcare costs have grown alongside aging populations - and existing government policies to ensure healthcare access have struggled to keep up. The provision of insurance and health services more broadly may be covered by public entities, private companies, or both, and different countries are attempting to meet these needs with different combinations of policy frameworks. As in other areas of the economy, the growing use of information technology holds promise to transform this sector. Health informatics is helping medical professionals manage patient data far more efficiently, facilitating better treatment and enhanced collaboration between different healthcare providers. The power of this approach will be further enhanced by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), which will allow doctors to harness more information for diagnosis and develop data-driven decision support systems for the evaluation of different treatments for patients.

What kinds of careers can I have with a background in healthcare?

The functioning of the healthcare system depends on not only doctors and nurses but on the skilled healthcare administration professionals who manage hospitals and clinics where they work. These administrators are responsible for ensuring the coordination of everything that goes into the effective delivery of healthcare services as well as the financial sustainability of their operations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , these healthcare administrators and healthcare services managers are in high demand, with jobs in this area expected to grow much faster than the rest of the economy over the next decade. These roles are also highly paid; in 2019, they earned a median annual salary of $100,980.

Can I learn about healthcare by taking online courses on Coursera?

Yes! There are opportunities to learn about a wide range of health and wellness topics on Coursera, including courses and Specializations spanning multiple courses about healthcare specifically. You can learn about the business of healthcare, the laws and policy frameworks that govern it, or the ways that technology advances are creating new possibilities in the sector. Across all of these healthcare topics and more, you can learn from top-ranked institutions like Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Minnesota.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn health care?

If you have worked in any type of health care setting or been involved with a public health initiative, you may have some of the skills and experience necessary to learn more about health care. If you have experience in data management and evaluation, you may also have skills needed to learn health care. Some of the definitive skills you may need to have before studying any facet of health care include communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment.

How do I know if learning health care is right for me?

Learning health care may be right for you if you interact with patients or health care organizations. The subject may benefit you if you want to fully understand the major challenges and key stakeholders of the U.S. health care system and how to improve the delivery of health care to patients. It may be the right subject for you to study if you want to better understand the business, costs, and quality initiatives of health care systems. The subject may be right for you if you want to learn advanced knowledge and skills to help assess current and future health care trends, identify changes and manage strategies in the health care landscape, or have an impact on the quality of health care delivery to patients whether it is at the local, national, or global level. If you are interested in learning more about the cutting-edge field of digital health care and the design, development, and implementation of digital health technologies, then learning the subject may be right for you.

What topics can I study that are related to health care?

If you plan to work in administrative roles, some subjects related to health care that you can study include data management, business leadership, and economics. If you are interested in the high-tech area of health care, you could study artificial intelligence and machine learning, as these subjects will greatly impact the science, practice, and business of health care and medicine.

What are common career paths for someone in health care?

You could follow a common career path with a focus on patient care in a hospital or other type of health setting if you study health care. Another common career path for someone in health care is in the supporting fields of health care IT systems, the development of eHealth platforms, or the development of systems that monitor everything from patient safety to workplace quality improvements. Another common career path is health care administration. There are many common, yet varied, career paths for someone in health care.

What are the benefits of taking an online Healthcare course?

Online Healthcare courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Healthcare skills. Choose from a wide range of Healthcare courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Healthcare courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Healthcare, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Healthcare Courses - Learn Healthcare Online

Explore the Healthcare Course Catalog

University of California San Diego
Drug Development Product Management
Skills you'll gain: Clinical Trials, Pharmaceuticals, Clinical Research, Commercialization, Regulatory Affairs, Sales Management, Portfolio Management, Bioinformatics, Medical Science and Research, Strategic Partnership, Product Marketing, Go To Market Strategy, Regulatory Compliance, Business Strategies, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Business Development, Patient Safety, Life Sciences, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Data Science
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
6.2K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
Duke University
Introductory Human Physiology
Skills you'll gain: Respiration, Anatomy, Vital Signs, Life Sciences, General Medicine, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
5.1K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Johns Hopkins University
Health for All Through Primary Health Care
Skills you'll gain: Primary Care, Preventative Care, Health Systems, Health Care, Health Assessment, Community Outreach, Community and Social Work, Advocacy
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
268 reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
University of Pennsylvania
Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us
Skills you'll gain: Vital Signs, Respiration, Health Assessment, Anatomy, Health Care, Patient Treatment
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
6.6K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Pennsylvania
Comparative Health Systems
Skills you'll gain: Health Systems, Primary Care, Health Care Administration, Health Care, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Systems Thinking, Medicare, Governance, Policy Analysis
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
113 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
University of Houston
Value-Based Care: Population Health
Skills you'll gain: Gerontology, Health Assessment, Health Systems, Health Care, Behavioral Health, Preventative Care, Epidemiology, Demography, Long Term Care, Health Care Procedure and Regulation, Socioeconomics, Community and Social Work
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
53 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Johns Hopkins University
Introduction to Digital Health Entrepreneurship
Skills you'll gain: Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Health Care, Medical Terminology, Digital Transformation, Health Care Procedure and Regulation, Entrepreneurship, Payment Systems, Health Care Administration, Telecommuting, Innovation, Technology Solutions, Data-Driven Decision-Making
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
26 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Johns Hopkins University
Cancer Biology
Skills you'll gain: Patient Education and Support, Life Sciences, Treatment Planning, Patient Treatment, General Medical Tests and Procedures, Clinical Research, Medical Science and Research, Image Analysis, Surgery, Anatomy, Radiology, Risk Analysis, Clinical Trials, Epidemiology, Health Care, General Science and Research, Science and Research
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
9.5K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
University of Pennsylvania
English for Business and Entrepreneurship
Skills you'll gain: Entrepreneurship, Market Research, Business Planning, Market Opportunities, Persuasive Communication, New Business Development, Business Writing, Business, Business Economics, Business Strategies, Business Marketing, Vocabulary, Presentations, Innovation, Fundraising
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
4.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free
Universiteit Leiden
Population Health: Governance
Skills you'll gain: Health Systems, Health Care Administration, Medical Management, Governance, Health Care, Nursing Management, Healthcare Industry Knowledge, Preventative Care, Health Assessment, Socioeconomics
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
27 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
University of Pennsylvania
Customer Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Marketing Analytics, Predictive Analytics, Customer Insights, Customer Analysis, Business Analytics, Analytics, Marketing, Data Collection, Marketing Strategies, Data Analysis, Market Research, Regression Analysis, Consumer Behaviour
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
12K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months
IBM
IBM Product Manager
Skills you'll gain: New Product Development, Product Management, Product Lifecycle Management, Agile Software Development, Product Development, Innovation, Product Roadmaps, Agile Methodology, Kanban Principles, Product Planning, Product Strategy, Product Testing, Project Management Life Cycle, Agile Project Management, Product Marketing, User Story, Sprint Retrospectives, Stakeholder Management, Competitive Analysis, Test Planning
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months