Tallinn University of Technology

Healthcare and hospital treatments are increasingly connected to both IT and medical technology solutions and devices. People would likely miss out on quality diagnostics and effective treatments without the support of medical technicians and physicists, who assist in planning procedures and maintaining complex medical equipment. There is also a great need for digital health specialists who can act as intermediaries between medical staff and IT specialists, and who understand how to manage change in healthcare.

Noor naine, kes kannab erksat oranži kleiti, seisab siseinterjööris ja vaatab kaamerasse. Tal on õlgadeni ulatuvad sirged juuksed ja rahulik ilme. Taustal on hägune kontorikeskkond.
According to Jana Holmar, Director of the Institute of Health Technologies, the healthcare systems in Estonia and globally face major challenges: rising public expectations, limited resources, and an aging, declining population.

A recent study by Kantar Emor revealed that, alongside the ICT field, health studies have also become popular among young people. In a changing world, human health and health issues are viewed in a broader context. Health encompasses physiological, mental, and social components. Therefore, it makes sense that a person's health journey is supported not only by medical personnel but also by a wider range of specialists.

There is a high demand for professional engineers and medical physicists in Estonian healthcare institutions and companies. Estonia needs 150-200 such highly educated specialists, with about half currently missing. The shortage of medical engineers and medical physicists is highlighted in the Cancer Prevention Action Plan 2021-2030. This issue is also mentioned in "Screening - A New Era in Lung Cancer Management. Implementation of Lung Cancer Screening in Estonia (2024)."

Many do not associate healthcare with the ICT field. However, modern healthcare is closely linked with technology. ICT specialists are increasingly supporting doctors and medical personnel. People can be supported in their health journey with smart health technologies. Future innovative health technologies must be developed with a holistic system approach. This approach should consider the organism, environment, and evolutionary path.

Tallinn University of Technology has been training medical technicians and  digital health experts for years. You can study in two unique ICT-related master's programs: "Digital health" and "Medical Technology and -Physics." In the past two years, nine medical technicians and 27 digital health experts have graduated from the university. However, these numbers do not meet market demand. Graduates of both fields are highly sought after in the job market.

Both the Estonian and global healthcare systems face significant challenges: citizens' expectations have risen and resources are limited. The population is aging and shrinking. It is high time to recognize the breadth of the healthcare field, the variety of learning opportunities, and address the current challenges in healthcare.