DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF MEDICAL STATISTICS IN THE CONTEXT OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Purpose. To identify promising pathways for the training of healthcare professionals in medical statistics based on an assessment of the current state, existing problems and needs. Materials and Methods. The study employed bibliosemantic, information-analytical, and content analysis methods. The research materials included scientific publications, national regulatory and legal acts, WHO policy documents, educational programs of higher education institutions of Ukraine containing medical statistics content, as well as corresponding course syllabi. Results. Current educational standards stipulate the necessity for healthcare professionals of various spe- cialties to acquire medical and statistical knowledge and develop relevant competencies. An analysis of educational programs implemented in higher education institutions of Ukraine demonstrated that medical statistics is taught within the training of specialists of various disciplines and at different levels of higher education. At the same time, a number of challenges in the training of medical statistics professionals were identified, including an insufficient practical component; variability in the number of hours allocated to medical statistics; limited use of modern statis- tical software and artificial intelligence; and inadequate integration with digital medicine and eHealth. Based on the study findings, the key directions for improving the training of healthcare personnel in medical statistics have been identified. Conclusions. Promising directions for enhancing the training of healthcare personnel in medical statistics include optimization of curricula and their alignment with actual sectoral needs; harmonization with EU require- ments and WHO recommendations; strengthening interdisciplinarity; increasing practice-oriented training and implementing flexible learning formats; ensuring continuous professional development; and promoting international certification, among others. The training of such personnel and the acquisition of relevant competencies consti- tute an essential component of the effective implementation of epidemiological surveillance and population health assessment tasks, the analysis of healthcare system performance, and the introduction of evidence-based strategic management in the healthcare sector.