Trinity joins new pan-European healthcare initiative SUSA

The project aims to address the “pressing need” for advanced digital skills in healthcare

Trinity’s School of Medicine has joined the Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence (SUSA) alongside a range of institutions across 9 European countries.

The newly launched initiative aims to tackle the deficit of professionals with advanced digital skills in healthcare.

With a budget of €12m, SUSA will co-design and deliver a “bespoke” advanced digital skills education program that will be integrated into 20 bachelor’s and 26 master’s degree programs across 12 third level institutions as well as 16 self-standing modules for “lifelong learning”.

The program is geared towards a diverse range of potential students, including healthcare professionals who wish to improve their digital skills.

The program, which will include content on data, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and cybersecurity, is geared towards a diverse range of potential students, including healthcare professionals who wish to improve their digital skills. It is set to produce over 6,000 graduates and upskill over 600 existing professionals, whose digital skills will then align with advancing healthcare practices across Europe.

The project, which is co-funded by the European Union, will help to achieve EU goals such as the European Green Deal and the Digital Decade objectives.

The project can be distinguished by its collaborations with key stakeholders in the world of healthcare.

SUSA’s leader, University of Oulu Professor Minna Isomursu called the initiative “a pivotal moment for European healthcare education”.

“Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and so should its education system. The integration of academic knowledge with industry expertise ensures our graduates are not only skilled but also ready to lead in transforming healthcare practices globally,” she added.

Noting that Ireland “lags behind” other EU countries in healthcare digitisation, the head of Trinity’s School of Medicine Professor Colin Doherty said that “there is even more of an onus on us to prepare both our students and the workforce for the coming digital transformation”.

Alongside Trinity, University of Limerick (UL) and University College Dublin have also joined the initiative, as well as Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).