Transforming Healthcare Through Digital Innovation
Design, Implementation and Evaluation
Time: August 10-12, 2026
Venue: Aalborg University Copenhagen
A. C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2450 Copenhagen, Denmark (DK)
Course objectives
The aim of the PhD course is to give an introduction to research methods in transforming healthcare through digital innovation from design, implementation and to evaluation. The focus is on digital technologies such as wearables, video, social robotics, digital platforms, applications (apps), clinical decision systems, and technologies with artificial intelligence (AI).
Students will be able to:
- Analyse clinical needs and translate them into digital health solutions.
- Apply user-centred and participatory design principles in the development of digital health technologies.
- Identify ethical, regulatory, and data governance considerations in digital health design.
- Develop a structured concept proposal for a digital health intervention or program.
- Explain key theories and frameworks in implementation science.
- Develop implementation research questions aligned with stakeholder needs.
- Identify barriers and facilitators to implementation at individual, organizational, and system levels.
- Critically assess methodological strengths and limitations in implementation research.
- Identify relevant outcome domains when evaluating digital health technologies (clinical, organizational, economic, social, ethical).
- Apply multidisciplinary evaluation frameworks (e.g., Health Technology Assessment principles).
- Consider health equity, accessibility, and unintended consequences in impact assessment.
- Critically reflect on the societal and systemic implications of digital health technologies and programs.
- To get an international network.
All days include lectures, interactive teaching, group work and students will have to write three pages on a problem related to own Ph.D. study and give a presentation at the course where peer Ph.D. students as well as researchers will give feedback.
An important part of the course is that you have the possibility to expand you professional network and get to know new international colleagues. There will be social activities planned in the city of Copenhagen.
The course is organized in collaboration between international and an interdisciplinary group of researchers within digital health from Aarhus University, Odense University Hospital, UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Aalborg University.
Faculty
- Birthe Dinesen, Professor, Laboratory for Welfare Technologies – Digital Health & Rehabilitation, ExerciseTech, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University (AAU), DK (Course Chair)
- Kristian Kidholm, Professor, PhD, CIMT – Center for Innovative Medical Technology, Clinical Department, Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark, DK
- Nick Anderson, Cardiff Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Chief, Division of Health Informatics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Chair, Health Informatics Graduate Group, UC Davis, USA
- Helle Spindler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University (AU), DK
- Katherine Kim, Professor, UC Davis School of Medicine, Public Health Sciences & Senior Scientist for Health, UC Berkeley, USA
Student tasks and ECTS
We will encourage students to read the literature before start of the course. Each student will have to prepare a three page presentation of their project and will receive feedback from peers participating at the course and faculty.
ECTS points in total: 2,5
Further information will be available soon.