To support ambitious professionals in deepening their knowledge in highly topical areas is a matter of heart to Barbara Rave, Senior Program Manager and responsible for Executive Education programs at GBS. This is one of many reasons why Barbara is so passionate about the new GBS certificate program “Data Science in Health” – designed in cooperation with the House of Pharma & Healthcare and leading industry experts to enhance opportunities for data-driven decision-making in the healthcare sector. Within three coordinated modules, participants gain a fundamental understanding of the healthcare data ecosystem, discover opportunities and limitations of data analytics and artificial intelligence for decision-making and business models. We asked Barbara to introduce the program in more detail and explain, why the timing to become a “Certified Specialist Data Science in Health” is just right.
1. How does digital transformation change the health sector? What is the role of AI in this?
The past two years have shown that we are living in a time of unprecedented change. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced an inevitable transformation in health. The circumstances forced everyone to adapt, like in the case of telehealth and in-home healthcare, which were integrated into our daily lives. I believe that these unpredictable changes have accelerated the momentum towards data-based and digital processes, particularly in the healthcare sector. We must now try and keep this momentum. Digitalization and data analytics offer so many opportunities for e.g. the better treatment and administration of patients, diagnostics of rare diseases or the individual preventive health care. With the different algorithms to identify peculiar anomalies in various structures fed with data, machine learning will be able to improve continuously. All in all, you could say that with artificial intelligence and digital trends in healthcare, we can create efficiencies that improve patient care while reducing or streamlining healthcare costs.
2. Why is now the right time to launch a Data Science in Health certificate program?
Compared to other European as well as some Asian countries, the digitalization of the healthcare industry in Germany still has lots of room for improvement. This is why we are now facing the major challenge of catching up. However, there is a great potential. And with potential comes opportunity. Within the next ten years, we are expecting massive changes in the healthcare industry. Our certificate program highlights the chances inherent in these disruptions and shows how new data-driven business models will transform the healthcare sector in the near future. This is why now is just the right time to offer this program, preparing participants for the definite changes in health.
3. Whom is the program designed for? What is the profile of a “perfect candidate” for this program?
The program targets ambitious professionals from the entire healthcare sector. This is a great chance for everyone working and wanting to improve in medicine, hospital management, pharmaceuticals and medical technology, as well as health insurances who want to actively shape the future of their industry. Data analytics and data-driven decision-making processes offer so many opportunities to transform the healthcare industry, whether through data-driven automated diagnostics or digital patient management, for example.
4. What are the major take-aways for participants? What is the special “knowledge advantage” of a Certified Specialist Data Science in Health?
Participants of this program will understand the challenges and opportunities of systematic data collection and use in the healthcare industry. They will have an overview of the entire health data ecosystem and will be able to assess which data-driven ideas are worth implementing into business models. Another advantage is that graduates will qualify to take on intermediary roles between the technical and the customer/patient side due to their understanding of, for example, algorithmic and statistical methods in combination with their knowledge of the healthcare sector.
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