Leaders of Stanford Medicine’s continuing medical education (CME) program launched a pilot collaboration with YouTube Health to expand the reach and breadth of its educational programming and set a new standard for posting accredited medical education content on the platform.
“What is unique about this collaboration is that Stanford CME successfully navigated continuing education compliance requirements for posting accredited content on YouTube’s platform, which is a first globally,” said Daryl Oakes, MD, associate dean of post-graduate education at the Stanford School of Medicine. The compliance requirements were met via the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
“Our wealth of expertise and strong reputation both nationally and globally make Stanford Medicine the perfect choice for improving the available programming to physicians and health care professionals around the world,” Oakes added.
Stanford CME leaders believe the collaboration will help attract viewers worldwide from multiple backgrounds — including clinicians, residents, health profession students, even the general public — seeking evidence-based, high-quality medical education.
“There is a need for credible educational material around the globe,” Oakes said.
On average, physicians must complete 20 to 50 hours of continuing medical education each year to maintain certification. In 2023, Stanford CME provided accredited instruction to approximately 20,000 health care professionals monthly. Oakes said the initiative is poised to further increase the number of clinicians who participate in continuing medical education programs.
Another benefit of the added scale and wider audience, she noted, is that Stanford Medicine experts can increase their professional visibility and impact.
“We have an incredible community of scientists, clinicians and leaders in the field,” Oakes said. “This is a wonderful platform for them to share that knowledge with a global audience and to enhance patient care through lifelong learning.”