Be part of the future of healthcare
Meet the growing demand for specialists in digital health
Offered by the Otago Business School, the Department of Information Science, and in partnership with the Otago Medical School, the Postgraduate Certificate, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Health are designed for people working or planning to work in health sector management and leadership roles.
Healthcare systems are increasingly dependent on data, technology and digital solutions, while at the same time consumers expect to use personalised digital technologies to enhance their own individual health and well-being. Future roles for healthcare professionals will include the provision and transformation of services using digital technology.
Why study postgraduate digital health?
There is an identified shortage of people with the right skills to meet the growing demand for specialists in digital health. These two programmes will help develop extensive knowledge of technology and skills relevant to digital health theory and practice, and the enhanced ability to integrate this information into the health sector. Graduates will be able to critically evaluate complex problems and communicate potential solutions to the health sector.
- New Zealand’s first digital health programme
- Globally respected teachers
- Build or transfrom your career in the healthcare sector
Key information
Delivered online, the course will suit full-time or part-time students who are seeking a qualification in this area but who cannot physically be in Dunedin or are unable to take leave from employment or other commitments.
Applicants should be a graduate in a relevant field, or hold a relevant professional qualification requiring at least three years of full-time tertiary level study. Those with no degree but proven suitable experience in the healthcare sector will be considered.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Health (PGCertDigHeal) can be completed in a minimum of six months (for 2021, the PGCertDigHeal can be completed in a minimum of 12 months).
The Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Heallth (PGDipDigHeal) can be completed in a minimum of 12 months (for 2021–22, the PGDipDigHeal can be completed in a minimum of 24 months).
Teaching style and methods
Both programmes are taught fully online with the flexibility to attend class virtually and study from home. Live lectures allow you to engage with classmates and teachers in real time.
Career opportunities
There is a vast number of possible roles in the sector:
- Clinical leaders in digital health or informatics
- Healthcare systems project managers
- Informatics specialists
- Digital health consultants
- Health analysts
- Health managers
- Policy advisors
- Health researchers
- Digital health education specialists
- Healthcare leadership and governance specialists
What the professionals have to say
“Digital technology is critical to managing and improving healthcare now more than ever. There is tremendous untapped scope to build better digital technologies for healthcare, and also to upskill those working in the sector or interested in digital health.
The Dunedin Hospital rebuild alone will employ over 100 people with digital health skills.
The Otago Digital Health degrees, developed in a partnership between the Otago Business School and the Medical School, provide an opportunity to step into the digital health arena.
We look forward to welcoming you to our ‘digital’ classes.”
Professor Robin Gauld
Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Otago Business School and Division of Commerce
“Digital health solutions will have a far reaching impact and revolutionaize the health care in New Zealand and world wide as well as bringing equity of care to socioeconomically disadvantaged people.
The Otago Medical School and the Otago Business School uniquely joined to provide these courses with a vision to improve the health care outcomes of people.
The academic staff providing the teaching and mentoring in these courses are world leaders in digital health, health care systems and delivery.”
Professor Rathan M. Subramaniam
Dean, Otago Medical School
“The future of health will be closely entwined with the information technology that has already made huge differences to other areas of human endeavour.
The complexity and breadth of health has made this a challenge and slow to start, but we are now at a point of rapid change.
The health system will need people who understand the capacity of information technology to transform the experience and effectiveness of healthcare.”
Dr Nigel Millar
Chief Medical Officer, Southern District Health Board
How to apply
Contact
Chris Paton
Department of Information Science/Otago Medical School
Email digitalhealth@otago.ac.nz
