Leading Digital Transformation in Health Care

Program Overview

Digital transformation in health care is occurring at a rapid pace with COVID-19 only accelerating the need for technology to deliver better solutions. Digital health technologies can offer greater convenience, efficiency and accuracy across the entire value chain of a health care system. It becomes possible to achieve continuous improvement of care while also reducing costs with the adoption of the right technologies, implemented as part of an overall transformation strategy.

While investment in various technologies is increasing rapidly, the adoption and value proposition of technology for health care remains complex and multifaceted. Leaders like you are asking:

Which innovations will provide more cost-effective, patient-centered, quality care?
How do you differentiate value-producing technologies from hype?
What are the critical success factors in managing the change process?
How do I leverage digital strategies throughout the organization to benefit all aspects of health care?

Answers to these questions are critical not just for health systems, but also business leaders developing industry solutions for health care. This six-week online program provides you with the knowledge, tools and strategies to design and implement technology-enabled change initiatives within your system.

It will also equip you with a unique, global perspective on health care systems through recorded faculty and guest speaker sessions with interactive discussions, live office hours and application exercises. The focus is global, and the application is immediate. At the end of the program, a certificate of completion from Harvard Medical School Executive Education recognizes your accomplishment.

Curriculum

Several industries have already undergone profound digital transformations: retail, financial services and entertainment are a few examples. Health care is poised to make its transformation, and this program will equip you with the skills needed to drive change within your own organization. Additionally, you will gain a unique global perspective, with real-world insights and knowledge shared by industry experts.

Health Care Transformation

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Digital Transformation in Health Care: Keys for Success

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Module 1: Transforming, Disrupting or Staying Competitive
Gain valuable insights from other industries across multiple countries to identify the pitfalls and the best practices that lead to successful digital transformation initiatives.
- Examine the lessons from digital transformation efforts across different countries and industries.
- Analyze critical success factors, including change management skills, as well as failure points, such as improper governance structures or bad timing for a given technology.
- Understand why the technology is secondary to the transformation process.
- Identify your own unique transformation goals.
Module 2: Enabling Technologies
Explore the range of technologies that act as conduits for change, including the internet of things (IoT), blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI), and how to assess the viability of each for your needs.
- Describe the capabilities of key digital technologies.
- Learn how to conduct an assessment of the technology’s applicability, including its architecture and maturity.
- Identify the technologies that could help you achieve your goals set in Module 1.
Module 3: Transformation Management Skills and Practices – Fostering Change Management
Through the lens of two different case studies, you will examine real-world examples of digital transformation in different organizations with varying styles of governance.
- Describe the key aspects of change management and tap into a leadership perspective on real-world digital transformations in health care.
- Reflect on lessons learned from an initiative centered on the standardization of care at a UK-based entity.
- Advancing your own plan, describe the necessary digital transformation, change management and governance needed to support your plan.
Module 4: Transformation Management Skills and Practices – Establishing Digital Transformation and Innovation
Continuing on the journey of key management skills and practices, two additional cases emerge—the first of which involves the digital transformation of a large German pharmaceutical organization and the second one examines the digital transformation process at an academic medical center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Explore different approaches to iterative innovation and experimentation.
- Learn to make the business case for your digital transformation, even in the face of
- uncertainty.
- Continuing to advance your plan, describe the necessary digital transformation, business case and innovation strategies needed to support your plan.
Module 5: Transformation Management Skills and Practices - Creating a Digital Culture
The next step focuses on how to develop a culture of innovation with a digital vascular system, while also ensuring that the intended value is realized. Case studies include one focused on Australian personal health records while the other one studies digital health innovation at a large health care delivery system in the United States.
- Ensure the value from digital investments is realized.
- Explore strategies for creating a lasting digital culture in your organization.
- Furthering your plan, describe the necessary approaches to ensuring the realization of value from your digital transformation plan and creating a digital culture.
Module 6: Creating the Transformation Plan
The final stage in the examination of transformation management practices focuses on managing external factors and forming effective partnerships.
- Assess external factors that impact transformation.
- Identify the characteristics of successful partnerships.
- Pulling all the pieces together, finalize your transformation plan including how to leverage external factors and partnerships to achieve success.