Program Overview

Program Overview

The program "Practical Improvement Science in Health Care: A Roadmap for Getting Results" is a 7-week online course offered by HarvardX and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The course aims to provide learners with the skills and tools of improvement science to make positive changes in health, healthcare, and daily life.

Course Details

• Course Length: 7 weeks
• Time Commitment: 2-5 hours per week
• Featuring faculty from: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Class Dates: Apr 16, 2025 - Apr 15, 2026
• Certificate Price: $249

Course Description

Developed through a collaboration between HarvardX and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, this course will provide learners with the valuable skills and simple, well-tested tools they need to translate promising innovations or evidence into practice. A group of expert faculty will explore a scientific approach to improvement, a practical, rigorous methodology that includes a theory of change, measurable aims, and iterative, incremental small tests of change to determine if improvement concepts can be implemented effectively in practice.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn why improvement science is valuable in health, healthcare, and daily life
• Learn how to design and execute a personal improvement project, including an aim, measures, and tests of change
• Explore how an improvement project evolves into reliable, standard work
• Learn from Harvard faculty
• Do it on your own time
• Get a certificate, add it to your resume
• Be part of the Harvard Community

Ways to Take the Course

• Audit or Pursue a Verified Certificate: A Verified Certificate costs $249 and provides unlimited access to full course materials, activities, tests, and forums. Alternatively, learners can Audit the course for free and have access to select course material, activities, tests, and forums.

Faculty

• Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP: President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• David M. Williams, Ph.D.: advises leaders and organizations worldwide on adopting quality as an organizational strategy
• Don Goldmann, MD: Chief Scientific Officer, Emeritus, and Senior Fellow Institute for Healthcare Improvement Professor of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School Professor of Epidemiology Harvard School of Public Health

Program Topics

• Technology & Innovation
• Leadership & Communication
• Health Care
• Arts & Humanities
• Business & Management
• Education
• Government
• Law
• Science & Mathematics

Program Type

• Individual Courses
• Learning Paths
• Organizations Training
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