School of Medicine

Chair of Health Informatics

Questions relating to human-technology interaction, health infrastructure and artificial intelligence

Digitalisation has now become a key pillar of research and care within the health care system. Digital health applications (DiGa) make it possible to prescribe apps, whilst the electronic patient record (ePA) enables the cross-sectoral exchange of patient data. But how is digitalisation changing the way we work in the health care system?

The Chair of Health Informatics conducts research in the following areas:

  • Human-technology interaction: Design and application of qualitative and quantitative methods to measure the acceptance and comprehensibility of technologies. Research into concepts for user-centred technology adoption and use.
  • Healthcare infrastructures: Identifying the potential applications of new technologies and opportunities to support cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary care pathways.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Extracting data and deriving insights by applying analytical methods to it. Examining issues regarding the adequate sensitivity and specificity of developed algorithms. Identifying potential applications in diagnostics, therapy and prevention.
     

The Chair of Health Informatics collaborates with the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering ISST in Dortmund. It also supports the activities of MedEcon Ruhr, a network comprising over 170 organisations in the field of health management (represented on the Executive Board by Prof. Dr Sven Meister).

 

 

News

Research

Digital maturity in the health care system
Digital maturity in the health care system

Digitalisation is a transformative process that begins under specific initial conditions. But where does a doctor’s surgery or a hospital stand? Using qualitative and quantitative methods, the department is researching the variables that influence digital maturity, with a view to developing structured assessment tools.

Evidence on digital therapeutics (DTx) and digital health interventions (DHI)

Digitalisation boosts efficiency and effectiveness – that is the promise. However, there is a lack of structured survey and reporting tools for the standardised recording and description of improvements in effectiveness for DTx and DHi. The Chair uses tools such as Delphi studies and quantitative survey instruments to improve reporting with the aid of guidelines.

Digital and data skills

Competence is a key component of motivation, and not just from the perspective of self-determination theory. It is essential to ensure that the transformation process brought about by digitalisation receives support from people. We are researching assessment tools for digital and data literacy and developing training and professional development programmes, as well as Open Educational Resources.

Artificial Intelligence in the health care system

In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering in Dortmund, the department is developing AI-based approaches to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Current research projects

Graphic of two essays, shown abstractly, on a green background

Publications

All publications from the Chair of Health Informatics at UW/H are gradually being included in the university bibliography.

University bibliography

Pursuing a PhD at the Chair

The Chair’s interdisciplinary team supervises cumulative and monographic PhD theses on a variety of topics that bring together medical care and the health care system with issues relating to digitalisation. Methodologically, we frequently draw on qualitative and quantitative research, whilst also exploring newer possibilities offered by artificial intelligence.

In addition to a programme for doctoral studies for students at Witten/Herdecke University, we also offer external candidates the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies, for example on a part-time basis whilst working. The university offers various doctoral degrees for this purpose (Dr. med. / Dr. rer. medic.).

The Chair provides structured supervision based on a jointly developed timetable and work plan. The procedure is set out in a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which supports doctoral candidates throughout their studies with forms and methodological guidance.

If you are interested, please do get in touch. We would be particularly pleased if you could bring forward ideas for a research area, which we would be happy to develop further with you. Please note that we do not offer short-term doctoral projects involving retrospective data analysis.

Current doctoral studies
Completed doctoral studies

Teaching

The Chair of Health Informatics offers a wide range of teaching and learning opportunities relating to digitalisation in the health care system.

Certificate Programme and the ‘Digital Health’ track

Journal Club and Academic Work

Studium fundamentale

School of Nursing Science

Chair holder

Portrait photo of Univ.-Prof Dr Sven Meister

Univ.-Prof. Dr.

Sven Meister

Chair Holder

Faculty of Health (School of Medicine)  |  Chair of Health Informatics

Pferdebachstraße 11
58455 Witten

Room number: 1.010

Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0522-986X

The team at the Chair of Health Informatics