A health scientist of the University of Twente has a focus on making the healthcare more effective and efficient, by looking at processes and systems on the level of the patient and caretaker, healthcare organization and on the level of the health care system. The processes and systems are analyzed, (re)designed, implemented and evaluated. The health scientist possesses the ability to define the value of technology within the healthcare from a multi-disciplinary perspective and is capable of advising relevant stakeholders.

This transfer minor dominantly aims at preparing you for the master of science (MSc) degree programme Health Sciences. (See also Entry requirements below).

1st Quartile (Taught in English)

Course 1 (5 EC): Data Science (202300200)

Data Science is the emerging interdisciplinary field that lies at the intersection of computer science, statistics, visualization and the social sciences. Scientific and economic progress is increasingly powered by our capabilities to explore big data sets. Data scientists dig for value in data by analyzing for instance texts, application usage logs, and sensory data. They are the driving force behind the successful innovation of Internet companies like Google, Twitter, and Yahoo. There is an increasing need for data scientists and big data engineers seen in job advertisements. The need for data scientists and big data analysts is apparent in almost every aspect of our society, including computer science, medicine, physics, and the humanities.

 

Course 2 (3EC): Health Care Economics and Financing (202400159)

The section HealthCare Economics and Financing of module 5 introduces students to the principles and core concepts of economics applied to the healthcare sector. By recognizing the importance of scarcity and incentives, this course will focus on the critical economic issues in producing, financing and delivering healthcare. The course will start with an introduction on how markets work and how demand and supply reach an equilibrium when markets are perfectly competitive. It will then explain how the healthcare market is different from many other markets, and how this may result in market failure. Consequences of market failure will be discussed, with a focus on policy measures to improve social welfare. In addition to the relevant economic theory, students will learn more about how healthcare markets are shaped, using the Dutch system as one of the examples. The role of health insurance is illustrated, including potential adverse effects and policies aimed at reducing these. In addition to efficiency considerations, the course will address matters related to the distribution of healthcare (equity considerations). After this course, students will understand how the healthcare market works and how healthcare policy aims to impact this. They will understand why economic evaluation is needed to guide resource allocation decisions in healthcare. Finally, students will be able to critically assess economic effects of alternative healthcare policies or interventions, based on a solid understanding of economic theory.

 

Course 3 (4EC): Economic Evaluation in Healthcare (202400160)

Technological innovations, the development of expensive medicines, and population ageing provoke an increase in health care consumption and costs. Increasing healthcare efficiency therefore became an important goal of governments to counteract this increase in health care expenditure. Consequently, assessing the cost effectiveness of healthcare interventions is becoming increasingly relevant, and evidence on cost effectiveness is gaining ground in healthcare policy making, but also in daily medical practice and medical guidelines. This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of health economic evaluation (in particular cost-effectiveness analysis) in the context of welfare economics. It will help the student understand the various approaches to economic evaluation together with their strengths and weaknesses. An in-depth introduction to existing methods is provided (cost minimization, cost effectiveness, cost utility, cost benefit). Additionally, the development of skills such as designing an economic evaluation, performing a critical appraisal of published economic evaluations, and developing a simple health economic model are promoted through practical assignments.

 

Course 4 (3EC): Financial and Management Accounting (202400161)

This section provides an introduction to accounting, and in particular to financial accounting and management accounting. It is aimed at providing a broad understanding of the theory and practice of financial accounting and management accounting. You will not focus on the technical aspects of book-keeping, but rather examine the basic principles and underlying concepts, theories and practices, and ways in which accounting statements and financial information can be used to improve the quality of decision making. To support this practical approach, there are, throughout the section, numerous illustrative extracts with commentary from company reports, survey data and other sources. “Do I really need financial accounting and management accounting to be an effective healthcare professional or manager? I don’t intend to become an accountant!” The answer actually is yes. Many health science students aim to become a professional or a manager within a health care or related organization. When you become a professional or manager, even on a junior-level, it is almost certain that you will have to use financial reports to help you carry out your tasks. If you become a decision-maker it is relatively certain that decisions are often largely based on financial information and reports that you need to understand and analyse. You will learn ways to analyse healthcare issues from financial and management perspectives, which could enable you to improve efficient patient-oriented health care for the future.

Quartile 2

Klinisch wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (202400165):

In deze module leert de student academische onderzoeksvaardigheden welke aansluiten bij problemen uit de dagelijkse praktijk van de gezondheidszorg en de klinische praktijk. De student leert problemen op het terrein van de kliniek in kaart te brengen en deze om te zetten in een medisch wetenschappelijke vraagstelling. Er wordt ingegaan op een aantal nieuwe ontwikkelingen op het gebied van diagnose en behandeling van ziekten. Daarbij staan vooral de ontwikkelingen op het gebied van diagnose en behandeling van oncologie, neurologie en hart- en vaatziekten centraal. De student raakt vertrouwd met epidemiologische begrippen en de specifieke methoden en technieken van ‘evidence-based’ onderzoek. De valkuilen die bij bepaalde vormen van onderzoek kunnen optreden en mogelijke oplossingen hiervoor komen aan de orde. De student krijgt inzicht in univariate statistische methoden, o.a. toetsen van twee groepen en variantie- en regressieanalyse, en inzicht in multivariate statistische methoden, o.a. multiple lineaire regressie, logistische regressie en analyse van overlevingsgegevens (Cox regressie). Door het kritisch lezen en becommentariëren van medisch wetenschappelijke artikelen wordt de toepassing van onderzoeksmethoden en statistische analyses inzichtelijk. Als afsluiting leert de student het geheel toe te passen door zelf een onderzoeksvoorstel te ontwerpen.

Na het volgen van deze module is de student in staat om:

• Een onderzoek te ontwerpen passende bij een wetenschappelijke vraagstelling, waarbij de dataverzameling plaatsvindt met geschikte meetinstrumenten en de data-analyse met passende analysetechnieken, en dat vanuit juridisch standpunt verantwoord is;
• Verschillende onderzoeksmethoden, zoals trial (experiment), dwarsdoorsnede onderzoek, cohort onderzoek en patiënt-controle onderzoek in de epidemiologie te herkennen, op kwaliteit te beoordelen, en de resultaten van dergelijk onderzoek te interpreteren;
• Te benoemen op welke manieren gezondheid geoperationaliseerd kan worden en een geschikte gezondheidsuitkomst te kiezen bij een bepaalde vraagstelling;
• Een aantal veelvoorkomende multivariate statistische technieken (multiple lineaire regressie, Cox regressie, logistische regressie) toe te passen en de resultaten van deze analyses te vertalen naar een antwoord op de wetenschappelijke vraagstelling;
• Kennis op te halen, uit te breiden, en inzicht en vaardigheden te krijgen ten aanzien van het analyseren van de biomedische aspecten van een aandoening, specifiek gericht op de nieuwe ontwikkelingen voor diagnostiek en behandeling.

Good to know that this minor aims to attract students from universities of applied sciences (HBO) who have the adequate motivation and capacities to complete an English-taught degree programme on university level.

In order to be admitted to this minor you need to have completed 120 EC’s in your current related bachelor’s program. You are required to provide a recent grade overview signed by the institute of your current study.

You are expected to be competent in English at a level that is at least on a par with the skill set of a pre-university secondary school ('vwo') student in the Netherlands. English-language books are also used in many courses. Please note that we do not provide language testing prior to admission; this is really your own responsibility.

If you have not succesfully completed your maths coursework at a level on a par with Maths A or B at Dutch vwo level, we advise you to take a math (refresher) course. You can choose from several organisations offering these courses for mathematics remediation, such as the James Boswell Institute in Utrecht, or the NHA (online course).

In order to determine whether your current studies is sufficiently related to health science, please check: www.doorstroommatrix.nl  and check the HS programme’s website.

Note:

For those whose current bachelor’s studies involves a non-related programme, admission is determined on an individual basis by the HS Admission Board.

The most up-to-date information about the courses  and the literature which will be used in the course can be found in the Osiris course catalogue.

• This full time transferminor of 30 EC's covers 1 semester.
• Each Quartile lasts 10 weeks.

Quartile 1

Health care economics and financing                                      Exam
Economic evaluation in health care                                          Exam
Financial and management accounting                                    Exam
Data Science                                                                            Exam + presentation

                                                                                                                                     
Quartile 2  

Project: Clinical Scientific Research Proposal                           Presentation and report
Clinical Epidemiology                                                                 Exam
Diagnoses and Treatment of Diseases                                      Presentation and report
Ethics and legal regulations regarding research with humans   Exam
Medical Statistics                                                                       Exam

N.B. The learning agreement signed by the student and his Examination Board and the other necessary documents (see Entry requirements) must have reached the UT-contactperson (R. Kortekaas) before the enrollment ends.

You need to send in the signed learning agreement and a recent grade list including obtained EC's.