Global Digital Health (GDH) is an interdisciplinary, fully online course that equips students with
the knowledge, analytical skills, and practical competencies needed to
understand and shape the Digital Transformation of health systems worldwide.
Offered by the Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT) through the Virtuelle
Hochschule Bayern, the 5-ECTS course is designed for Bachelor’s and Master’s
students from health, biomedical, technological, managerial, and related
disciplines.
Across 20 units, students progress from the foundations of Global Health,
Disease Burden, Health Economics, and Evidence-Based Practice to the
technological and regulatory dimensions of Digital Health. Core topics include Health
Data Standards, Electronic Health Records, Interoperability, Telemedicine, Mobile
Health, Remote Monitoring, Extended Reality, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence
for Health, Cybersecurity, Ethics, and Regulation. Particular attention is
given to contemporary developments such as Generative AI, the European Health
Data Space, the EU AI Act, Digital Therapeutics, and data-driven Digital
Precision Health (10P-Health) – the new paradigm of the 21st-Century
Health and Wellness.
The distinctive Countrynalysis component enables students to apply
this knowledge to the comparative assessment of National Health Systems and
Digital Health Landscapes. Using a structured framework, students examine
governance, health indicators, financing, ICT infrastructure, regulation,
interoperability, adoption, and future development in selected countries. This
approach advances learning beyond knowing and understanding toward application,
analysis, critical evaluation, and the creation of an evidence-based country
report.
GDH reflects DIT’s broader commitment to internationally oriented Digital
Health Education, Research, and Knowledge Exchange through its Master of
Digital Health (MDH) study program, the DigiHealthDay Forum and Event
Series, and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Digital Health Education,
Research & Development. By connecting global health needs with
technological possibilities and real-world implementation contexts, the course
prepares learners to contribute responsibly and effectively to equitable,
sustainable, and evidence-informed Digital Health Transformation.
