Digital Health School of the University of Montpellier and its partners: ESNbyUM
The Digital Health School of the University of Montpellier and its partners is a project certified under the France 2030 initiative as part of the “Skills and Professions of the Future” call for proposals; it is the only project selected at the national level to train all professionals involved in digital health. It is an original and innovative initiative offering initial, vocational, and work-study training programs in the field of digital health. It takes a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to training to address the challenges of digital health, formerly known as e-health.
A rapidly expanding field, Digital Health can be defined as the convergence of the healthcare and digital worlds, made possible by the use and development of new information and communication technologies, to support healthcare professionals in their practice and individuals throughout their care journey. It addresses significant societal challenges, such as the rise in chronic conditions and healthcare deserts, and encompasses various fields including health data, cybersecurity, AI, digital health tools, and telehealth.
Its personalized, interdisciplinary approach to education and its digital campus—designed as an immersive, collaborative learning environment accessible to everyone at any time—embody the École de Santé Numérique’s commitment to training the professionals of tomorrow, who are poised to thrive in an increasingly connected world.
Objectives of ESNbyUM
Provide extensive training in digital health to future professionals in the health and medical-social sectors, and develop specialized expertise for other professionals involved in digital health.
ESNbyUM will offer training in digital health:
- Healthcare and social services professionals
- Digital specialists with a background in healthcare
- Management and senior executives of healthcare and medical-social facilities
- Lawyers with expertise in digital health
- Specialists in regulatory affairs for digital medical devices
Strengthening disciplinary coherence in digital health
Digital Health is a complex field that involves many professionals with diverse expertise and addresses topics as varied as health data, care pathways, telehealth, mobile health apps, medical decision support, and patient-assistance robotics. This diversity is at the heart of the School of Digital Health, which has taken on the challenge of training all professionals involved in Digital Health by pooling educational resources and training programs in a single space. ESNbyUM even offers a course unit titled “Interdisciplinary Project in Digital Health,” which allows students from different Master’s programs (Medicine, Sports Science, Pharmacy, Sciences, Business Administration, and Law) to collaboratively develop a digital medical device, from the conceptualization stage through to its construction, with each student utilizing their skills to bring the project to fruition.
Offer personalized support
Digital health is a field that requires training future professionals in new interdisciplinary skills and preparing them for emerging careers to address the challenges of today and tomorrow.
To address these needs, ESNbyUM offers its students a teaching approach known as the “6 P Precision Teaching Method,” which is:
- Tailored to provide training that suits each learner
- Preventive measures for successful training without failure
- Predictive, applicable to future professional practice
- Participatory, to enable learners to take an active role in their own learning
- Evidence-based, following a scientific approach
- And focused on practices
Fostering the Digital Health Ecosystem in Occitanie
By bringing together professionals from diverse backgrounds—including educators, experts, students, and citizens interested in digital health—ESNbyUM, a renowned and indispensable “off-campus” school involved in all major initiatives focused on digital health, works in collaboration with all its partners and stakeholders in the region, whether they are academic institutions, healthcare and medical-social facilities, businesses, or local governments.
Innovating in education through its Digital Campus
To offer its students a unique learning experience, ESNbyUM has developed its digital campus, an ambitious project that serves as a showcase for the University of Montpellier’s School of Digital Health and its partners. This digital platform consists of five areas:
- A "Training" section, in the form of a Moodle LMS, where educational resources on digital health are shared.
- A "Career Guidance" section, featuring an AI chatbot, to help everyone find the right Digital Health training program
- "News" and "Resources" sections to stay informed about developments in digital health
- An "Alumni" section for interacting with past graduates
- An immersive 3D space that lets you explore the iconic landmarks of the city of Montpellier
This platform, which serves as a bridge between an innovative immersive environment and the real world of education, embodies ESNbyUM’s commitment to training our students, instructors, and citizens-as-patients in digital health.
Governance
The Committee for Strategic and Structural Investments (COMIS), chaired by the President of the University of Montpellier, serves as the site’s strategic coordinating body, focusing on the implementation of initiatives funded in particular by France 2030, including the ESNbyUM program.
The Directorate of Strategic Programs at the University of Montpellier (DPS) coordinates the operational and administrative aspects of these projects.
Within the ESNbyUM project, project leadership has been entrusted to Professor Maurice Hayot, Associate Professor at Montpellier University Hospital, and project coordination to Dr. Brigitte Couette, an Inserm researcher.
ESNbyUM’s governance structure consists of several committees: a Strategic Steering Committee (COS), a Steering Committee (CoPil), and Teaching and Innovation Committees (CPIs).
The COS helps define the institution’s broad strategic direction and the allocation of resources, and provides input on the action plan proposed by the Director of ESNbyUM. It is chaired by the University President and includes the Vice President for “Academic Affairs and Student Life” and the members of the consortium.
The Steering Committee submits strategic decisions to the Project Steering Committee to ensure the project’s objectives are met and oversees its smooth execution, including progress, achievement of objectives, adherence to deadlines, quality, and financial costs.
The role of the CPIs is to develop a strategy for teaching and innovation to facilitate the implementation and continuous improvement of the quality of instruction and the educational programs offered by ESNbyUM.
