Program Overview

Introduction to the Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Basic Training Certificate Program

The Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Basic Training Certificate Program, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), commenced on June 8, 2024. This program aims to enhance Turkey's healthcare system by leveraging artificial intelligence.

Program Overview

• The program is hosted by ODTÜ's Informatics Institute and will run until July 8, 2024.
• It has attracted 25 personnel and doctors from the Ministry of Health.
• The opening ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Health, Huzeyfe Ylmaz, and the Rector of ODTÜ, Prof. Dr. M. Veran Kök.

Objectives and Scope

Enhancing Healthcare with Artificial Intelligence

The program focuses on empowering healthcare professionals with the skills to utilize artificial intelligence in both administrative and clinical settings. This includes improving hospital capacity management, reducing errors and fraud, and enhancing cost and quality control. Additionally, it covers the development of applications for early diagnosis, test result tracking, image analysis tools, robotic surgery, personalized treatment, and clinical decision support.

Project Development and Collaboration

By the end of the program, participants will develop and propose projects under the guidance of instructors and in collaboration with engineers who specialize in artificial intelligence applications. The goal is for participants to acquire the ability to utilize health data effectively, considering its sensitivity and the need for efficient methods.

Program Structure and Instructors

Coordination and Instruction

The certificate program is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Banu Günel, Director of ODTÜ's Informatics Institute, and Doç. Dr. Yeim Aydn Son, Chair of the Department of Health Informatics. It features a team of 13 instructors who are experts in their fields.

Instructor Profiles

• The teaching team includes Dr. Aybar Can Acar and Dr. Burçak Otlu from the Department of Health Informatics, Doç. Dr. Elif Sürer and Doç. Dr. Erdem Akagündüz from the Department of Multimodal Computing, Doç. Dr. Cihangir Tezcan and Dr. Fatih Ömen from the Department of Cybersecurity, and Doç. Dr. Barbaros Yet from the Department of Cognitive Sciences.
• Additionally, Prof. Dr. Tunca Doan from Hacettepe University's Department of Computer Engineering, and experts from the Ministry of Health's Artificial Intelligence Unit, including Uzm. Dr. Ahmet Görkem Er and Dr. Güray Ark, will contribute to the program.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Basic Training Certificate Program concludes with a workshop on July 8, 2024, where selected projects will be presented. This initiative aims to contribute significantly to improving Turkey's healthcare system by harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence, thereby enhancing the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.