Core Courses (21 Credits)

1. Principles of Data Analytics
With the large volume of data in various domain-specific applications in recent years, it is crucial to interpret and understand data in a scientific way. Data analytics, an essential method for identifying the hidden patterns and critical information from data, have been widely employed due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and big data analytic techniques in recent years. In this course, students will explore the foundation, principle, methods, and potential applications of data analytics. Specifically, the course will contain four modules, including data models in real life, analytical tools, data extraction, and data visualisation.

2. Data Analytics in Health and Health Services
The recent advances in information technology have made it more convenient and efficient to collect and analyse various kinds of big data to support decisions on health policies and predictions of human diseases. This course focuses on key technologies and tools that support data-driven smart health service delivery. The course will introduce students to different sources of big data (e.g., surveillance infrastructure and wearable sensors). It will provide multiple cases and examples in real-world to help students better understand conceptual and practical issues related to data structure, how to create and collect data, data storage, data management, and techniques for data descriptions and analyses for health and healthcare. Students will be engaged in statistical programming and health and healthcare data analytics through hands-on activities. In addition, the course will cover the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to help students answer the question of "where" in health services delivery. GIS has been used extensively in epidemiology study (e.g., disease surveillance) and the healthcare industry (e.g., resource planning). Hands-on GIS tutorials and spatial application examples in public health and healthcare will be introduced and discussed.

3. Healthcare Operations Management
Healthcare is the maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Operations management is essential for the provision of healthcare services, and it is primarily concerned with the delivery of quality services promptly while controlling costs. This course is designed to introduce the key concepts, practices and tools that have been developed for service operation management with specific applications in the healthcare industry. The course also demonstrates the how-to of analysing, designing and managing a complex healthcare system.

4. Understanding Public Health and Epidemiology
This course will introduce students to fundamental and advanced concepts, measures and approaches in public health and epidemiology. Students will learn about nature and historical perspectives of public health and epidemiology, determinants of health and diseases, epidemiology study design, mapping diseases and health needs, measuring health and diseases, controlling epidemics. This course will provide a foundation for other courses.  

5. Modern Technology in Health and Social Services^#
This technologically-driven course is designed for senior health and social service practitioners, who have responsibilities and resources for innovating existing service and products to achieve higher organisational efficiency and user satisfaction.
The course is in two parts. The first part will provide students with knowledge and insights for addressing the gaps in society and technology interface, particularly for older persons. Students will be introduced to existing and emerging assistive technologies and equipment for delivering care to older persons and other vulnerable populations groups such as telemonitoring, telehealth, assistive, ICT technologies and other gerontechnological devices. Students will also be exposed to cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, and examine potential benefits and risks associated with the health and social services profession.
In the second part of the course, students will learn to lead an effective innovation process using human-centred design methods and gain hands-on experience in assistive technology and automation design. This part of the course will further expose students to relevant topics such as user experience design, home automation, machine ethics, and AI content creation to equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary for developing effective healthcare services and products. They will have real-time experience in harvesting and applying big data in decisions about care delivery relating to the maintenance or improvement of physical and mental health through diagnosis, treatment and disease prevention. Thus, this course utilises problem-based learning approach. Students will gain ample hands-on design experience with technology.

6. Theorising Health and Social Services I^#
In this course, students will be led to explore the nature of health and social services (social care) and some theoretical perspectives and practical approaches to understanding health-related social services. The issues will be discussed with a significant focus on the nature and characteristics of social services, relevant policies and organisations involved. To broaden students’ perspectives on social services in the area of health, they will be introduced to the concept of health, and the health needs of different population groups as well as the determinants of health. Students will also be taken through ethical standards and values in planning and delivering social services in the area of health provision and their role in the process. The course will be delivered through lectures and student-led topical presentations.

7. Policy and Resource Management Issues in Health Systems
In the course, students will be introduced to different kinds of policies relating to healthcare and public health. Students will learn how various types of health data are extracted to shape and inform health policies. The course will border on issues relating to health infrastructure and coverage, health financing, health personnel training and retention, the sustainability of health systems, and health education. The course will be delivered through a series of practitioner seminars. Policy analysts and healthcare professionals will be invited to offer empirical perspectives on policies and the realities of their implementations.
 

# Subject to Senate's approval

Elective Courses (3 Credits, select any one course) 

1. Managing Service Users and Stakeholders
In this course, theoretical, philosophical and practical discussions will be explored about ways of incorporating experiences, ideas and expectations of potential service users in the design and delivery of health and social services. Students will learn about approaches to establish and maintain a strong and valuable working relationship with service users and other stakeholders. They will also be led to examine the ethical boundaries in the relationship with different stakeholders and identify factors that enhance or inhibit the involvement of service users in service delivery.

2. Chinese Medicine in Health and Social Services
Chinese Medicine (CM) has been found to be a cost-effective method in disease prevention and treatment. Hence, more and more health and social care workers are introducing CM in their practice and public engagement activities. Thus, some fundamental knowledge of CM is useful and important in the proper planning and management of health-related social services. The course is divided into two parts. The first part provides students general understanding of the basic theories, working principles, methods for health promotion and disease healing in Chinese medicine. This comprises an introduction to the five key areas in Chinese medicine, including the basic theories of Chinese medicine, methods of diagnosis and treatment, acupuncture & moxibustion, Chinese medicinal materials, and Chinese herbal formulary.
In the second part of the course, students will learn and experience how CM is being delivered in a real-life context. They will be arranged 8 hours of attachment at a Chinese Medicine Clinic or a CM service provider. The course written assignment and group presentation will be linked with this work experience and theories and debates from lectures and seminars.

3. Sleep, Health, and Everyday Life
Why is sleep so important that we need to spend one-third of our life on this (in) activity? This course will provide a basic introduction to how sleep is regulated and measured, and how sleep changes across the lifespan. The importance of sleep in multiple age groups and in optimising various aspects of health will be discussed. This course will also address how sleep can be improved. Sleep research in Asian societies will be reviewed, where appropriate, to help students understand some of the topics in a local context.

4. Leadership and Interpersonal Skills for Technology Professionals
Working from basic units called microskills, this course shows students how to engage, listen, manage conflict, and influence others with highly constructive, repeatable communication exchanges. Students will learn the techniques for facilitating agreement within groups, including identifying common goals, exploring options collaboratively, and building solutions that work for all stakeholders.

5. AI in Health Data Analysis and Management # 
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in health and healthcare services and management, with a focus on generative AI and its transformative influence on healthcare data analytics, operational efficiency, research advancements, patient care delivery and data management. The course integrates foundational AI principles, practical applications, and ethical considerations tailored to the healthcare domain.
Students will engage with a dynamic blend of instructional methods, including lectures, hands-on workshops, collaborative group projects, and seminars led by distinguished guest speakers who are leading experts in AI-driven health analytics. These seminars provide critical insights into real-world implementations and emerging challenges in the field.

Upon completion, students will possess the ability to critically evaluate the opportunities and risks presented by generative AI in healthcare, proficiently apply AI tools for data analytics to enhance healthcare outcomes and streamline workflows and navigate the complex ethical and regulatory frameworks governing healthcare AI.
 

Capstone Project (6 Credits)
1. Health Analytics and Management Project