Data literacy in medicine: What competences does a physician need?

Abstract

Background: The digital transformation of healthcare is changing the profession of physicians. “Data Literacy” is considered to be one of the most relevant future competences. Currently “Data Literacy” is not addressed in German medical school curricula and also the current ongoing reform processes (Master Plan for Medical Studies 2020 and National Competency-Based Learning Objective Catalog) do not address this field. Objectives: First, the article aims to address the concept of “Data Literacy” in the medical and educational context. Secondly, a teaching concept will be presented that depicts “Data Literacy” in medicine for the first time in a German medical school. Materials and methods: The blended learning curriculum “Medicine in the Digital Age” addresses in five modules the diverse transformation process of medicine ranging from digital communication, smart devices and medical apps, telemedicine, virtual/augmented and robotic surgery to individualized medicine and big data. This publication presents the teaching concept, the initial implementation and the evaluation of the fifth module, which focuses on “Data Literacy” in a transdisciplinary and integrative way. Results: The evaluation of the new course concept was conducted qualitatively and quantitatively. The results demonstrate a gain in competency in the areas of “knowledge” and “skills” as well as a more differentiated “attitude”. Conclusions: The curricular integration of “Data Literacy” is a transdisciplinary and longitudinal task. However, the high speed of the transformation process needs to be considered for the development of these curricula. An adaptation option in the sense of “Agility by Design” is hereby a purposeful approach.