Course content

Digitalisation in the municipal health and care services has been a health policy priority for two decades. Today, digital solutions are part of most work processes in the services. The question is no longer whether the services will be digitalised, but how fast and with what priority. It is well recognized that digitalisation involves changes in how the services are provided and organized, in how illness and health care are experienced and in how patients, relatives, and health professionals relate to each other and collaborate. To exploit the opportunities following the digitalisation for the good of patients, services and society, the development, implementation and use of digital solutions should be knowledge based. In this PhD course, the students will develop understanding of key aspects of the research on digitalisation of the municipal health and care services. Including various research traditions, basic concepts and analytical approaches.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

• has extensive understanding of the relationships between health policy, trends in technology development, implementation and use of digital solutions in the services
• has extensive understanding of the concepts and analytical approaches used in key research traditions
• can critically assess the appropriateness and application of the concepts and analytical approaches used in key research traditions on digital solutions in the services
• has extensive understanding of the methodological and epistemological consequences of that the research on digital solution has interdisciplinary and applied aspirations

Skills:

• formulates research questions for and plan research that is relevant to the services
• relies on knowledge from the key research traditions in professional and public debates on development, implementation and use of digital solutions in the services
• reflects on complex practical issues related to the development, implementation and use of digital solutions in the services

General competence:

• critically reflects on the consequences of that collaboration in the services and clinical encounters are being digitalised.
• identifies relevant issues related to development, implementation and use of digital solutions in the services
• recognises the key research traditions' concepts and analytical approaches in negotiations and practices related to research, implementation and use of digital solutions in the services
• assess the need for, take the initiative to and manage implementation of new digital solutions in the services

Learning methods and activities

The teaching includes a combination of lectures, seminars, and supervision. The lectures address the broad lines in course and the curriculum and provide an overview over the central themes. The supervision is given on texts developed by the students in individual groups.

Language of instruction is Norwegian or English, depending on the student group. If English speaking students in the group, the language of instruction is English.

The course requires a minimum of 5 students

Compulsory assignments

• Attendance requirement - 80% of facilitated teaching

Recommended previous knowledge

The target audience for this course are PhD students who plan or carry out research on development, implementation and use of digital health technologies in the municipal healthcare services.

Maximum number of participants are 25.

Course materials

Information on course literature is available in Blackboard at the start of the course.