Health Data Analytics
The previously finished follow-on project from the Master of Health Information Management was based on two pillars:
- Establishing an online Master's degree in Health Data Analytics at University of the Western Cape and individual modules at Kenya Methodist University and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.
- Conducting summer / winter schools to further educate HIM alumni and other professionals from the health care sector in Health Data Analytics.
The project was an interdisciplinary North-South-South collaboration between University of the Western Cape, South Africa (Information Systems and Healthcare), Kenya Methodist University, and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
Impressions
Project description
The objective of this project was a structural and topic‐specific further development of the previous Master degree of Health Information Management (HIM) in the following directions:
- Change of the deployment model and change of curriculum: The major objective was to further develop the existing degree towards an online Masters course in Health Data Analytics. In order to reduce the travelling costs and the number of days students are away from office, the mode of delivery was online e-learning. The new online curriculum was also revised in accordance with the 4th Industrial revolution (4IR) to include Big Data, Analytics and Aftificial Intelligence. Health is one of the major application areas of Big Data and Analytics and the expectations to provide better diagnostic, surveillance and therapy for patients are tremendous. The intended academic outcome is the further development of existing MHIM degree towards an online course of Health Data Analytics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the partner universities Kenia Methodist University (KeMU) and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). The developmental outcome is based on capacity building, preparing the graduates for careers in Health Analytics.
- Update MHIM alumni with Data Analytics qualifications: An additional objective was to introduce qualification measures in Health Data Analytics for MHIM alumni and Healthcare students through winter/summer schools. Since 2013, 59 participants graduated or will be graduating in near future in the previous MHIM degree. Due to the fact that the curriculum of MHIM did not cover Data Analytics in detail, a huge demand from the alumni exists to learn more about the possibilities of Health Data Analytics. The winter/summer schools were aimed to equip the alumni and students from other health degrees with these skills. The academic outcome is to update MHIM graduates in a sense of life‐long learning and other students with qualification measures in Health Data Analytics. The developmental outcome is to build capacity in Health Organizations in Sub‐Sahara Africa by updating their skills and knowledge.
2019Year 1
- Curriculum Design
- Winter School at HNU, Germany
2020Year 2
- Development of E-Learning Concept
- Digital Winter School
2021Year 3
- Production of E-Learning Content
- Digital Winter School
2022Year 4
- Start of first cohort of the online Master programme
- Summer / Winter School at UWC, South Africa
Team at HNU
Project initiator
Professor Dr. Olaf Jacob
Retired Professor
Project leader
Professor Dr. Elmar Steurer
Vice President for Research and Internationalization

Project coordinator
Sylvia Göbel
Coordination of third party projects


funded by the DAAD with financial means of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Impressions
Participants' Expectations in the Winter School 2020
I'm expeting to be more knowledgeable in the use of modern technology in the analysis of big data, and its use in data quality checks.
I'm interested in data analytics tools because we will introduce these in our own company to improve the medial review in clinical trials.
My expectation is to improve my skills in how to analyse data and improve the research activity in my work environment.
My research was on the usage of qualitative data so now I want to strenghten my quantative data skills to assist me in my line of work.