Business Planning for Healthcare Innovation

Paul Anglim

Paul’s background is in the life sciences, with a BSc in Biotechnology from NUI Galway, and a PhD in Molecular Biology from University of Southern California. He has over 20 years' experience in medical communications, life sciences and med-tech in both technical and commercial capacities. In 2011 he joined the BioInnovate programme at its inception and held multiple roles in his 10 years there. He was crucial in bringing the European Union EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology) Health Initiative to the UK and Ireland and has has served as an advisor on the pan-European EIT Health Strategic Accelerator Board and to Health Innovation Hub Ireland.

Currently, Paul is an adjunct Lecturer and Honorary Clinical Fellow at University of Galway, Founder of Angles Consulting, an advisor with NLC, the European Health Venture Builder, enabling innovation and entrepreneurship at RCSI and Health Lead at the Guinness Enterprise Centre. 

This five-week course is fully online so that you are able to study at a pace that suits your lifestyle. The course consists of four weeks of content and teaching. The fifth week is reserved for assessment.  

Learning content is delivered through pre-recorded videos and online activities. At the end of each week there will 90-minute live webinars. All webinars are recorded for those who cannot attend live and will be available to view at your convenience. 

We understand that some people may be new to online learning. Our virtual learning environment (VLE) is designed to be intuitive, accessible and easy to navigate. A dedicated course coordinator will be available to you, should you experience any technical difficulties, or have any specific questions relating to learning online. At the start of each course, there will be some short videos to orientate you to the platform and course format. 

A four-week online learning experience awaits you. Each week is carefully designed to offer a dynamic blend of both direct and indirect synchronous and interactive activities. These include live lectures, exercises, discussions, reading assignments, self-study sessions, formative learning assessments, and summative preparation tasks. Week 5 will be dedicated to the assessment phase, where you'll receive detailed feedback.

• Week 1: During the first week, participants will gain proficiency in generating ideas and converting them into viable opportunities within the healthcare and science domains.
• Week 2: In the second week, we'll focus on feasibility analysis, covering its components and practical application to assess the viability of ideas.
• Week 3: Week three involves a comprehensive exploration of the business canvas and its significance in analysing the industry.
• Week 4: During the fourth week, attention will be directed toward creating effective business plans that encompass organisational, product/service, and marketing aspects.
• Week 5: In the fifth week, participants will work on developing essential skills in negotiation and pitching, enhancing their ability to confidently present healthcare and science business concepts.

Assessment methods on our micro-credential courses can include written assignments, continuous assessment, and/or presentations. Full details on the end of course assessment will be available to students on commencement of the course.

Students who successfully complete this course and pass all assessments, will receive an academic transcript and certificate detailing the academic award and credits received.

This is a postgraduate programme and those who complete this course will gain five European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (equivalent to level 7 on the European Framework of Qualifications). 

• Develop capacity to understand key concepts in business planning and development as applied to or enacted in health and related sectors.
• Develop critical understanding of how business planning tools, theory and practice can be employed to alter working lives and human health.
• Understand and apply business frameworks appropriately to the issues or challenges that arise in delivering or changing health and related sectors.
• Develop competence in evaluating concepts pertaining to business viability with a view to assessing and identifying what works (and what does not) in particular scenarios and why.
• Demonstrate the ability to challenge assumptions and question processes in the development of an effective business canvas/plan in a contextually sensitive manner.
• Enact critical understanding and skills necessary to perform as an effective organisational actor with the confidence and ability to work with and lead others in pursuit of better health and wellbeing through application of business planning and development.
• Develop critical reflection and reflexivity so as to understand how their specific approach to organising and managing impacts on the people, processes or structures through business planning and development.
• Reflect on how to change practice as an actor/manager/leader in organisational contexts in support of the betterment of human health and well-being, and in support of principles linked to relevant components of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI).

Recognition by Ministries and bodies in other jurisdictions must be determined by the individual applicants.

Course title is subject to final accreditation.

Please note: This course was previously known as Business Planning and Development for Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs in Healthcare and Science.

Micro-credentials are awarded based on successfully completing a course and demonstrating the required learning outcomes through assessment. Micro-credentials are designed to be stackable – learners can accumulate credits from other specific micro-credentials to achieve a larger, major award, such as a diploma or degree.

We have two other micro-credential courses in this suite:

• Innovation in Healthcare
• Design Thinking for Healthcare

You can find more RCSI Online micro-credential courses here.

Contact us to find out more.