Learning Health Systems Short Course
Become a part of the digital transformation of health
Do you want to learn to use health data to inform and improve clinical practice and/or design and validate digital health-enabled models of care? The Learning Health Systems short course is for you.
This is a national, multi-award-winning program. It consists of a 12-week, 100% online short course consisting of self-paced online learning modules (3 hours) and engaging live Zoom workshops (2 hours), facilitated by interprofessional specialists, designed to enhance your understanding of a quality improvement framework for data-driven change. Workshop sessions will run from 6:30-8:30 PM on a weeknight. Full schedule available below. Places are limited. Sign up now to secure your spot.
This course will support you in developing and implementing digital health innovations to improve health systems, clinical decision-making and healthcare quality in your organisation.
If you are interested in earning University credit points for this course, enrol in it as a single subject or as an elective subject in your Master's degree. CHIA CPD points awarded.
What you will learn
The course will involve a series of modules that build on each other to provide an overview of all the steps required in an effective learning health system cycle. Pre-class learning will include a range of online, interactive learning and application activities developed by the instructors. In-class learning will involve hands on, guided workshops by instructors and group work using a variety of tools and software to interrogate the data and develop digital health solutions.
- Gain hands-on experience by working through the phases of a Learning Healthcare System
- Immediately apply your new knowledge to your workplace
- In teams, meet and learn from other participants in a variety of roles (e.g., clinicians, managers, data scientists), countries (Malaysia and Australia) and organisations (small and large, metro and regional, hospitals, GPs, and public health)
- Learn from world-class instructors and subject matter experts
- Gain broad experience by stepping through a case scenario spanning 10 years - letting you practise with real Australian healthcare data and virtual care apps as you consider how these models can evolve over time
- Explore what is next for you and your role in digital health.
The small group work has been fantastic, providing a rare opportunity to meet a wide variety of interesting people working in the health sector. Sarah Finlayson, Quality Coordinator for Mental Health, Albury Wodonga Health
From the course, into the clinic
Kate Renzenbrink, Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, brings clinical nursing expertise and digital health leadership experience to her role improving patient and staff experience through better systems and workflows.
As an experienced clinician in digital leadership, Kate understood what needed to change, but wanted formal frameworks to design and evaluate digital systems rigorously.
Course outline
The Learning Health System (LHS) approach aims to streamline improvements to individual and population health by bridging the evidence-to-practice gap. Patients and clinicians can use the model to build evidence collaboratively and apply it to innovation, quality and safety and to create value in health care.
The foundations of an LHS are approaches in health informatics, design-thinking, implementation science, public health, and health services, which together can drive the digital transformation of a healthcare system.
Week 1–2: Practice to Data
- Learn about the Learning Healthcare System model.
- Identify a real-world problem and form a learning community around it.
- Empathise with end-users to clearly define the problem.
Weeks 3–5: Data to Knowledge
- Clarify the problem and identify relevant data sources to create a digital phenotype.
- Transform and prepare data for analysis.
- Analyse data to generate meaningful findings.
Weeks 6–8: Knowledge to Practice
- Synthesise insights & design a digital solution.
- Map and specify the key components of the solution.
- Prototype, develop, and test the solution in context.
Weeks 9–11: Practice to Data
- Design an evaluation plan to measure impact.
- Implement the intervention.
- Translate learning and digitally transform health services.
Week 12: Applications to real-world settings
- Reflect on how your understanding of Learning Healthcare Systems has evolved.
- Decide how you will apply these concepts in your workplace and future career.
Key features
Data 2 Knowledge (D2K): Use data to generate new knowledge. You will learn what it takes to access, collect, and analyse (using machine learning) health care data to build predictive models. You will try out machine learning approaches on real Australian healthcare data (i.e., BioGrid).
Knowledge 2 Practice (K2P): Use knowledge to inform practice. You will learn co-design, prototyping, ideation, and workflow principles and apply them to a real Australian virtual care model (i.e., Datos and a Diabetes patient care app).
Practice 2 Data (P2D): Change practice to measurably transform services and outcomes. You will learn how to implement and evaluate new digital technologies and strategise how to transform clinical workflows.
FAQs
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Fees apply:
- $2590 for senior hospital medical staff with CME budget
- $1770 for others
- $1330 Unimelb Staff/Students
- International - submit an inquiry
Group discounts are available. For more information, click here.
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Group discounts are available. For more information, click here.
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There are no formal prerequisites, but participants should be ready to engage with online material and participate in Zoom workshops.
- Strong interest in the topic and commitment to complete the course and engage in real-time sessions.
- No programming experience or healthcare expertise required.
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Anyone who has an interest in healthcare data and utilising it to improve the healthcare system.
- All Clinicians
- All Allied Health Professionals
- Public Health Professionals
- Epidemiologists
- Researchers
- Data Scientists/Analysts
- Bioinformaticians
- Information technologists
- Government/Management representatives.
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Contact the CDTH Education Team, Cdth-education@unimelb.edu.au, if you have any questions about the course or any payment queries.
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Topics Dates
(Wednesdays 6:25-8:30 PM)0. Orientation 1. P2D - Identify the problem & establish a learning community 29/07/2026 2. P2D - Empathise with end-users and define the problem 05/08/2026 3. D2K - Clarify problem, identify data sources, create digital phenotype 12/08/2026 4. D2K - Data transformation and preparation 19/08/2026 5. D2K - Analyse the data 26/08/2026 6. K2P - Synthesise insights & design a digital solution 02/09/2026 7. K2P - Map and specify solution components 09/09/2026 8. K2P - Prototype, develop, test solution 16/09/2026 9. P2D - Design an evaluation plan 23/09/2026 Mid-unit break (1 Week) 10. P2D - Implement the intervention 7/10/2026 11. P2D - Translate learning and digitally transform health services 14/10/2026 12. Applications to real-world settings 21/10/2026