Healthcare is not what it was even a few years ago. It has never been hard to imagine how information technology (IT) might improve health care services. Fast messaging replacing faxes. Electronic health records that can be accessed more easily. Software that can inform doctors' decisions. Telemedicine that makes care more flexible. The possibilities seem endless, especially in light of AI, blockchain, and security.
- Accurately Diagnose Diseases and Their Impact Early
- Hospital/Healthcare at home programs
- Address Minor Ailments
- Help Patients Understand Their Test Results & Treatment
- Free up Doctors & Nurses to Focus on Other Things
- Spot What Doctors Miss
- Make Mental Health Services More Accessible
- Monitor Patients 24/7
- Spot An Issue You Don't Even Know You Have
- Improve All Health Treatment
- Reduce Paperwork
- Prescription Management
- Advanced implants addressing neurological and other disorders
- Robotic Surgeons
That being said, recent MIT research finds that the overall impact of IT on health care has been evolutionary, not revolutionary. Technology has lowered costs and improved patient care-but to a modest extent that varies across the health care landscape, while only improving productivity slightly. High-tech tools have also not replaced many health care workers.
Understanding emerging information technologies and their impact on the healthcare industry, and the roles and responsibilities of IT and non-IT stakeholders in leveraging these emerging technologies in light of the digital transformation, will be at the heart of all of the courses.
This program is distinguishable from other healthcare programs currently available because of its ability to address the strategic digital health education needs of a broad range of employees found in the kind of companies and institutions who are constituents of healthcare organizations worldwide, in light of the digital transformation and emerging information technologies.
It is intended to prepare not only those responsible for the implementation of the traditional electronic records and other types of information technologies, but also those charged with deriving strategies that integrate emerging information technologies across previously disparate parts of the entire healthcare ecosystem.
Naturally, having accurate, accessible, secure data is fundamental to a successful AI initiative, thus providing additional topics addressed in this program. The Digital Healthcare Certificate focuses on the use of IT to enhance the strategic, tactical, and operational elements across the healthcare industry value chain.
The program is designed to meet the needs of those who will be the leaders and major users of these technologies (both clinical and non-clinical), regardless of their pre-course knowledge and experience in the use of today’s electronic tools. On the one hand, the courses will meet the needs of those seeking more of a high level strategic education focusing on how the use of various information technologies may drive the rapidly evolving vision of an organization positioning itself to compete successfully in a world dominated by value based purchasing and accountable care. On the other hand, it will provide a nuts and bolts perspective for those in back offices as well as on the front lines of patient care and healthcare operations where the rubber truly meets the road in terms of demonstrating the value of these technologies to overall clinical and financial performance, as well as the changing regulatory and insurance dynamics.
The courses are designed for IT and non-IT professionals (e.g., physicians, administrators, nurses, lab technicians) in the healthcare industry whose roles involve leveraging digital healthcare industry opportunities to provide demonstrable value from their IT investments, in light of the digital transformation and emerging information technologies (e.g., AI, blockchain, social media, analytics, big data), while addressing important considerations like providing a secure infrastructure and hybrid work environment. Often a team comprised of all stakeholders participates and uses the program to derive an IT-business strategy.
Lessons learned from the impact of IT on the coronavirus pandemic are included in the program.
