17 July 2024
DHCW colleagues joined health and social care professionals at a showcase event in Swansea to share examples of innovative research being undertaken as part of the MSc Digital Transformation for the Health and Care Professions at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
The first course of its kind in Wales, this postgraduate course enhances the skills of health and social care staff, and it is the first course in the UK to be accredited against international criteria in medical informatics education.
It is suited to those who have an interest in expanding and working within the digital landscape of health and care delivery. The programme was developed in collaboration with the Wales Institute for Digital Information (WIDI) and DHCW.
The event took place at the university’s IQ Building in Swansea. Student presentations were delivered by:
Thoko Owino, Senior Project Manager at DHCW, said: "The course has expanded my boundaries, helping me to grow both personally and professionally.
"The title of my talk at the student showcase was ‘If I can do it, so can you’. Despite my initial doubts, I am doing well in my assignments. With each success, my confidence is growing, empowering me to tackle new challenges and contribute more effectively in my day job."
Gareth Cooke, DHCW’s National Programme Lead for the Radiology Informatics System Procurement (RISP), was on the first cohort of the programme where he studied part-time whilst working full time for NHS Wales.
He said: “The course was challenging and rewarding, as I learnt about topics such as service transformation through people, data analytics, decision making and enhancing health and wellbeing using digital skills.
“The course gave me new insights into digital theories and concepts that I was able to apply in my role.
“The course was delivered virtually and given that I was studying part-time, it enabled me to balance my time between work and studying.
“The lecturers were helpful and supportive and regularly provided constructive feedback for assignments. An example of this was the data analytics module, which I found challenging as I had not previously used SPSS software as a tool to analyse data. The course leader supported, encouraged and helped me learn and understand how to do this.
“I would recommend this course to anyone working with digital systems or who would like to learn about digital transformation in health and social care.”
Professor Philip Scott, Programme Director said: “We are delighted to see how our students have been able to apply their learning in the workplace, bringing an evidence-based approach to digital transformation. They have brought new perspectives to numerous projects across Wales, so that their thinking is academically rigorous and their focus is on service improvement not just technology for its own sake.
“Students have worked in many and varied areas like paediatric nursing, social care, pharmacy, end of life care, personal health records, speech therapy and hospital ward management.”
Professor Wendy Dearing, Dean of the Institute of Management and Health at UWTSD said: “At UWTSD, we take pride in our ability to work with partners to ensure our programmes are contemporary and reflect the ‘real world’ context and this master’s programme is no exception.
“We have brought in industry professionals to work alongside our academic teams and partners to provide our students with the tools to build upon their unique expertise to grow a culture of inclusion, by using their digital and data skills to continue to deliver a first-class health and care service to our citizens.”