PGD Health Information Technology

According to AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association) (www.amia.org), Health information technology ‘is the interdisciplinary field that studies and pursues the effective uses of biomedical and healthcare data, information, and knowledge for scientific inquiry, problem solving, and decision making, driven by efforts to improve healthcare services delivery, management and planning’. HIT discipline:

1. Investigates and supports reasoning, modelling, simulation, experimentation and translation across the spectrum from molecules to populations
2. Develops, studies and applies theories, methods and processes for the generation, storage, retrieval, use, and sharing of biomedical data, information, and knowledge
3. builds on computing, communication and information sciences and technologies and their application in biomedicine
4. recognizing that people are the ultimate users of biomedical information, HIT draws upon the social and behavioural sciences to inform the design and evaluation of technical solutions and the evolution of complex economic, ethical, social, educational, and organizational systems.

Develop professionals that can exploit the potentials information technology/computing in healthcare planning, management and service delivery.

The programme aims to:

1. Develop professionals with advanced knowledge and skills to design, develop, implement, evaluate, and strategically manage health informatics interventions.
2. Build capacity in generation, storage, retrieval, use, share and manage health data, information, and knowledge to support appropriate decision-making and evidence based practice.
3. Create a pool of health informaticians with advanced skills to model, simulate, secure, manage knowledge, visualize, extract useful patterns, and make healthcare decisions
4. Develop research-oriented individuals who can apply their knowledge and skills to carry out research in business informatics.

The Health information technology programme is designed around a range of learning pathway to meet the needs of students from health care/computing-related backgrounds. To qualify for admission, a candidate must fulfil the general Mbarara University of Science and Technology entry requirements for postgraduate diplomas. In addition, the candidate must be a holder of either

1. A Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/Information Technology/Systems, Computer/Software Engineering or any other computing-related area or other STEM related Degree from a recognised Higher Institution of Learning
2. A Bachelor’s Degree in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and any other health care-related degree from a recognised Higher Institution of Learning.

The PGD BI is a 1-year modular postgraduate programme consisting of 11 courses including a concept paper taught/completed in two semesters. The programme minimum intake will be at least 15 students per academic year (commencing every August) in order to break even. The programme will be delivered over the weekend.

The PGD HIT is a one year modular programme that will be run in weekends.

Upgrades to a Masters programme in Health Information Technology can be done by completing year two of the masters programme attending seminar series, and doing a dissertation.

Students wishing to upgrade to a Masters programme in Business Informatics can directly apply to join the Masters programme as long as they have not spent more than seven years from the time of completing this postgraduate programme.

Those that will have spent more than seven years will be subjected to entrance exam before being admitted to the Masters programme. All students advancing to a degree programme must have passed all the 11 courses (including a concept paper).

The programme is privately funded through students’ payment of fees and related charges.

Therefore before enrolment, it is important that tuition fees are paid by the students to the university. Ugandan students will pay tuition fees totalling to 4,885,750/= (four Million and Eight Hundred eighty eight hundred, five thousand, seven hundred, and fifty shillings only per year. Foreign students will pay fees at an international rate per the university requirement.