Holistic learning: Education must incorporate knowledge, training and skills to prepare students for continuous innovation. — 123rf.com
Popular perception often equates careers in healthcare with being medical in nature. Healthcare, however, is best viewed as an ecosystem, one that is intrinsically connected with other disciplines.
These extend beyond pharmaceuticals and medical devices to encompass business, economics, engineering, data science, law, ethics and more.
For example, healthcare facilities need effective administration to ensure efficient operations, supported by digital solutions that improve diagnostic accuracy and maintain records, among other relevant functions. These help to optimise service delivery and patient care in many ways.
Meanwhile, research and public policy are greatly aided by the availability of analytical tools and artificial intelligence (AI). All these are, naturally, governed by legal, regulatory and ethical guidelines.
This broader view of healthcare puts to rest the outdated assumption that only students who fare well in the sciences are suitable candidates for pursuing a career in this area.
The industry is evolving to welcome the strengths of graduates from various academic backgrounds with different skillsets that are essential for providing holistic care and addressing complex challenges that affect us all.
Leveraging strengths
This change is crucial because healthcare is not just about medical expertise; it also involves understanding patient experiences, managing healthcare organisations and utilising technology for better outcomes.
The industry is moving towards a more holistic approach, embracing diversity in skills and perspectives that enrich our abilities to solve multifaceted problems and promote a more inclusive and integrated system.
In support of this change, areas like business administration and technology are being integrated into healthcare education to develop well-rounded professionals.
For example, management programmes teach students about hospital administration, finance and organisational behaviour while technology-focused courses cover informatics, telemedicine and the various applications of AI.
This multidisciplinary approach ensures that healthcare professionals are skilled not only in clinical practices but also in managing operations, implementing technological solutions, and understanding the economic and regulatory aspects of healthcare.
Similarly, with advancements in wearables, AI, apps and other online services, educational programmes now incorporate training in various technologies such as data analytics, telemedicine and cybersecurity.
Students learn to design and implement digital health solutions, understand data privacy regulations, and use AI tools for diagnostics and treatment planning.
This preparation ensures that future healthcare professionals can effectively utilise technology to enhance patient care and streamline services.
Embracing health
Collectively, this integrated approach to healthcare education supports the “One Health” vision, as set forth by the World Health Organization, which emphasises the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health.
Adopting this stance is to accept that all living things are connected in a symbiotic way, and in doing so recognise the need to create a more comprehensive and efficient system that cares for all living things.
This view, which fosters a comprehensive understanding of health that transcends individual sectors, is where diverse expertise and innovative approaches converge to address complex issues.
This holistic perspective is vital for us to tackle global health challenges like zoonotic diseases, environmental pollution and antimicrobial resistance, and promotes collaborative efforts across various fields for greater impact.
At the same time, we must also look towards strengthening interprofessional education and promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals from different areas, using a multidisciplinary approach to enhance team-based care and improve patient outcomes.
Expanding career paths
Developments like these open up a myriad of career opportunities that transcend traditional roles like doctors and nurses to encompass informatics, management, medical research, public health, communications and more.
Current developments will also pave the way for more diverse career paths, such as the rise of personalised medicine, the integration of genomic data, the increasing focus on mental health, and the growing importance of health equity and social determinants of health.
Our growing ageing population is a case in point. We are already on track to become an ageing nation by 2030 with a recent United Nations Development Programme report predicting that we will be a super-aged nation by 2056.
To meet emerging trends like these, it is imperative that healthcare education incorporate the necessary knowledge, training and skills to prepare students for a future of continuous learning and innovation.
This calls for a blended approach to learning, one that balances traditional and modern methods, providing interdisciplinary programmes and integrating technology, digital tools, management skills and other areas to support the underlying foundation of medical sciences and clinical skills.
In doing so, we help to ensure that our healthcare professionals are well-rounded, adaptable and equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving landscape.
Prof Saravanan Muthaiyah, the dean of Business and Technology at IMU University, is an advocate for synergy between disciplines such as business administration, healthcare management, and digital health technology. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
