Nearly 1,000 healthcare professionals develop digital skills to improve patient care
This month marked the end of the masterclass programme Cilvēcīgi par tehnoloģijām (Technology Made Human), implemented by Riga TechGirls together with Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) and with the support of EIT Health.
At the programme, 951 healthcare professionals from all over Latvia worked on improving their digital skills. This benefits the healthcare system, where digital skills can help save time and improve patient care.
The masterclass was attended by a wide range of health care representatives - from future professionals, who are still studying, to experienced practitioners, as well as representatives from health technology and start-up companies. Over three intensive months of training, participants learned both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in various areas, such as the use of digital technologies in healthcare, patient data management, effective use of healthcare apps and other digital tools, etc.
‘The importance of digital skills in healthcare continues to grow. Such programmes help professionals to better adapt to technological innovations, making their work more efficient and more convenient for patients, while promoting access to healthcare. Such experience not only helps to learn new skills, but also to strengthen professional confidence and awareness that technologies are allies, not challenges,’ says Pauls Siliņš (pictured), Project Director of Riga TechGirls and Cilvēcīgi par tehnoloģijām.
The aim of the programme is to provide up-to-date digital skills that not only facilitate the professional daily life of healthcare practitioners, but also improve patient experiences. These skills will help healthcare professionals and institutions to organise their processes more efficiently, promote innovations and new solutions in medical treatment.
The project brought together participants not only from all over Latvia (71 cities and regions), but also healthcare specialists currently living and working elsewhere in the world. The high level of interest in learning demonstrates the readiness and willingness of the health care professionals to acquire new skills. The participants represented a wide range of specialties, including family doctors, general care nurses, emergency medical assistants (paramedics), nutritionists and others. The participants were aged between 18 and 65, 91.06% were women and 7.63% were men, to some extent reflecting the demographics of the Latvian healthcare sector.
The masterclass programme Cilvēcīgi par tehnoloģijām was organised with the financial support of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology - Health Knowledge and Innovation Community (EIT Health) in order to provide free digital skills training to the healthcare sector in Latvia. The programme is designed to be worthwhile both for new participants as well as for those who completed a similar programme last year. A number of RSU lecturers shared their experience and knowledge during the programme.
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