This week, the team behind the HSE’s new Digital Health Learning Passport write about ongoing efforts to bolster digital literacy across the HSE.
Across healthcare systems worldwide, digital transformation is accelerating. Electronic health records, virtual care, artificial intelligence, connected systems and data-driven decision making are becoming increasingly embedded in the delivery of healthcare. Yet while much attention is given to new technologies, successful digital transformation ultimately depends on the people expected to use them.
Recognising the growing importance of digital capability across the workforce, the HSE has now launched its first national Digital Health Learning Passport. Developed by the Digital for Care team and delivered through HSeLanD, it provides all staff with access to a structured learning pathway covering six new core modules around digital health, from artificial intelligence to data literacy, virtual care and clinical safety. In addition to these modules the Passport includes the established Cyber Security Training module (mandatory for HSE Staff).
The initiative reflects a growing recognition that digital health is no longer the responsibility of specialist IT teams alone. As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, every member of staff requires a baseline understanding of the technologies, processes and approaches that support modern care delivery.
Digital health is everyone’s business
Digital technologies have become part of everyday healthcare practice. Whether accessing patient information, participating in virtual consultations, using mobile devices, communicating across services or working with electronic records, digital systems now influence how care is delivered across almost every healthcare setting.
At the same time, the digital health landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Staff are increasingly required to understand topics such as cyber security, data governance, digital clinical safety, workflow redesign, and artificial intelligence. Building confidence in these areas has become a key enabler of both workforce readiness and organisational transformation.
As digital health initiatives continue to expand across Ireland’s health service, the need for a common baseline of digital knowledge has become increasingly apparent. While staff engage with digital technologies every day, opportunities to develop a broader understanding of digital health concepts have often been fragmented or role specific.
The Digital Health Learning Passport was developed to address this challenge by creating a single, nationally available learning pathway accessible to all HSE staff, regardless of role, profession or previous digital experience.
Creating a foundation for digital confidence
The vision behind the Digital Health Learning Passport was straightforward: to provide practical, accessible learning that helps staff build confidence in an increasingly digital healthcare environment.
Rather than focusing on advanced technical expertise, the Passport aims to develop awareness, understanding and confidence across a range of digital health topics that are becoming increasingly relevant to day-to-day practice.
From launch, the Passport was designed as a comprehensive learning pathway comprising seven interconnected modules:
• HSE Cyber Security Awareness Training
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Data Literacy
• Digital Health Clinical Safety
• Digital Health Literacy
• Virtual Care Supported by Telehealth Technologies
• Workflows in Healthcare
Together, these modules provide a broad introduction to the technologies, concepts, and ways of working that are shaping the future of healthcare delivery.
Importantly, the pathway recognises that digital capability extends beyond technology itself. It includes understanding how information is managed, how risks are identified, how workflows operate, and how digital tools can be used safely and effectively to improve patient care.
Learning that connects technology to practice
One of the key principles underpinning the Learning Passport is relevance to everyday work.
The modules are designed to help staff understand not only what digital technologies are, but how they affect healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
The Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare module introduces key AI concepts and explores practical examples of how AI is already being applied within healthcare settings. The Data Literacy module helps staff understand how data is captured, shared, interpreted and used to support clinical and operational decision making.
Other modules focus on areas that are critical to successful digital transformation but can sometimes receive less attention. Digital Health Clinical Safety explores the relationship between digital systems and patient safety, helping learners understand how risks associated with digital technologies can be identified and managed.
The Virtual Care Supported by Telehealth Technologies module reflects the growing importance of remote and hybrid models of care, while Digital Health Literacy supports staff in confidently finding, evaluating and using digital health information.
The Workflows in Healthcare module takes a broader systems perspective, helping learners understand how people, processes, information and technology interact to deliver care. This is particularly important as organisations seek to ensure that digital transformation supports service improvement rather than simply digitising existing processes.
Together, these topics encourage a more holistic understanding of digital health and the factors that contribute to successful transformation.
Supporting staff across the entire workforce
A defining feature of the Digital Health Learning Passport is its focus on inclusivity.
Digital transformation affects clinicians, managers, administrators, health and social care professionals, operational teams and support services alike. For this reason, the Passport was designed to support staff across the entire workforce rather than targeting a single professional group.
The learning pathway is delivered through self-paced online modules on HSeLanD, allowing staff to engage with learning at a time that works for them. Learners receive certificates of completion for each module, while Continuing Professional Development credits are available for eligible modules.
This approach reflects the view that digital capability should be recognised as an ongoing professional competency and not simply a one-off training requirement.
Supporting safer, more effective and person-centred care
Ultimately, the purpose of building digital capability is not technology adoption alone.
The goal is to support safer, more effective, and more person-centred care.
When staff understand how digital systems work, how information should be managed, how risks can be mitigated and how technology can support clinical and operational practice, healthcare organisations are better positioned to realise the benefits of digital investment.
As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, it is essential that staff feel confident using technology in ways that benefit patients. The Digital Health Learning Passport provides practical learning that supports safe, effective and person-centred care.
Looking ahead
The launch of the HSE’s first national Digital Health Learning Passport represents an important step in supporting workforce readiness for a digital future.
While investment in infrastructure, platforms and technologies remains vital, experience continues to show that transformation also depends on people having the confidence and capability to adapt to new ways of working.
By creating a common foundation of digital health knowledge across the workforce, the Digital Health Learning Passport seeks to support that goal. As healthcare continues to evolve, investing in workforce capability may prove to be one of the most important investments a health system can make.
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