- To enable students to discern how science can help to address urgent health issues from the perspective of industry, academia, government and civil society
- To introduce students to successfully design an internship project resulting in a master thesis at an organization involved in healthcare or healthcare innovation.
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Health is a fascinating, but also a controversial issue for various reasons. It is difficult to determine exactly what we mean by ‘health’. A famous definition, coined by the WHO in 1946, defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, according to critics this definition is problematic.
Various scientific research fields have made significant contributions to health research, leading to options for therapy, prevention and performance optimization. From sequencing genomes and synthetic biology up to brain research. Many argue that, sooner or later, these revolutionary developments may dramatically affect health care opportunities as well, although implementation / translation from laboratory to health care settings is beset with complexities. Besides these developments in science and technology, health is an important issue because of global societal developments. Our societies are ageing, due to the extension of life-expectancy, but the demands of societies on individuals in terms of physical and mental condition and performance are increasing. Individuals are bombarded with health information, and expected to become the managers of their own health condition, but the information they are exposed to is often complex or contradictory.
This course addresses the complexity of health and health innovation by studying these from various perspectives. Topics that will be addressed during the course include: definitions of health, innovation entrepreneurship in the context of healthcare, new and emerging technologies in the field of healthcare (e.g. personalized medicine, e-health, big data), health policy, patient-centred healthcare, costs of healthcare and globalization of diseases.
Instructional Modes
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| This course is part of the Master specialisation Science, Management and Innovation (SMI), health theme. A bachelor in a science discipline is required. The course can also be done as an elective by master students in e.g. Medical Biology or Molecular Life Sciences. |
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| The final assignment for this course is to develop an internship plan, and to present the concept version to a panel of experts. They will provide critical comments, which you can use to complete your internship plan. There is no final exam. You will receive a mark for your final version of the internship plan. The mark needs to be sufficient in order to pass for the course. |
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