No. The HSMA Programme is funded to be offered free-of-charge to participants and their organisations. The only “cost” to you / your organisation is the time commitment to undertake the programme.

The programme will teach you how to be an applied modeller and Data Scientist for health, social care and policing. It will do this not only by teaching you the technical methods to undertake this kind of work, but will support you to apply and develop these skills to a real-world and important project for your organisation.

By the end of the programme, you will be able to :

• Write code in Python

• Use VSCode, Jupyter Notebooks and Google CoLaboratory development platforms

• Use version control software in your software development, and online repositories to share work

• Structure a problem into a focused modelling or Data Science research question

• Design a conceptual model for translation into a computer or mathematical model

• Use probability distributions in models to capture variability in real world data

• Validate and verify models

• Build Discrete Event Simulation (DES) models using the Python SimPy framework to model queuing problems and test reconfiguration scenarios

• Develop Machine Learning algorithms (including Neural Networks) that enable for the prediction of outputs given a set of inputs, using Python-based Sci-Kit Learn and TensorFlow packages

• Understand the ethical issues of real world application of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Use AI techniques to generate “synthetic data” that can be used in place of real data for Data Science

• Develop algorithms (including evolutionary algorithms) that predict the impact of geographic reconfiguration of services

• Use tools such as QGIS and GeoPandas to visualise the impact of geographic reconfigurations

• Develop AI-based Natural Language Processing algorithms to extract information and sentiment from free text data

• Build Cellular Automata and Agent Based Simulation models to capture behavioural dynamics in systems using the Python-based MESA package

• Build System Dynamics models to better understand the system-level dynamics within whole systems using packages such as InsightMaker

• Manage a modelling or data project through from inception to implementation

• Liaise effectively with key stakeholders throughout a modelling or data science project

• Present complex information generated from OR and Data Science projects confidently and effectively to a wide range of specialist and non-specialist audiences

• Collaborate and communicate effectively within and between health, social care and policing sectors to tackle issues of common importance

The programme is open to anyone in England who is working in a non-commercial health, social care or policing organisation.

HSMAs will undertake intensive training in a wide range of mathematical modelling, computer simulation and advanced data science methods, most of which will require the HSMA to develop computer programs in Python. Whilst no prior knowledge of any of these methods or programming is required, HSMAs will need to be comfortable learning and applying such methods, and a strong background in analytics and / or strong computer skills will be required. As part of the programme HSMAs will manage a modelling or data science project, although support and training will be provided as part of the programme, and no previous project management experience is necessary.

We encourage applications from anyone who would :

• be comfortable learning a wide range of new mathematical and computing approaches

• be creative in their approach to problem solving

• be comfortable with the idea of managing a project

• be comfortable liaising with key stakeholders to design a project and obtain the necessary data to support the project

• be able to plan and manage their time efficiently

• have an enthusiasm for / interest in the kinds of approaches taught on the programme

• have strong self-learning skills to engage in the further learning necessary to develop their skills using online resources

Absolutely! As long as you can demonstrate some interest and experience in analytical, statistics, modelling or coding, you would be very welcome to apply. Whilst the programme attracts mainly analytical staff, we have had a number of clinicians on the course who have developed some fantastic impactful models.

One even developed an open source vaccination service model at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HSMA has been selected to be the first course accredited by the Association of Professional Healthcare Analysts (AphA).

HSMA Alumni can get in touch via penchord@exeter.ac.uk to dicuss accreditation. 

You will be required to commit one day a week for the duration of the programme. During the training phase (Phase 1 - 6 months) it is mandatory to attend the live lectures that take place every Tuesday. There are optional revision sessions for each module and project development clinics but there is no obligation to attend these. There is a one week break in June and a two week break in August, during which no commitment to the programme is required 

New HSMAs undertaking their Inception Project are expected to work on their projects for a day a week throughout Phase 2, and present their work at the HSMA Conference at the end of the programme 

The HSMA Programme is conducted entirely online. No attendance at physical meetings is required, unless relevant to your own projects. The programme is delivered predominantly as Live Lectures or meetings via Zoom, with some additional pre-recorded content available on our YouTube channel. 

No. We assume no prior coding knowledge, and teach coding from first principles. However, prior experience of coding in any language would be an advantage, if nothing else to help you determine whether this is something you would enjoy and be able to learn quickly, as the course is intense.

All HSMAs are signed up to the HSMA Community Hub (Slack workspace) – an online platform that allows people from the same organisation (HSMA in this case) to collaborate and share code easily. We have built a supportive and growing community of HSMAs and HSMA alumni since the inception of HSMA in 2016.

For Phase 1 (6 months), each HSMA is allocated a “Peer Support Group”. This is a group that they will work with throughout the training phase, for all exercises during training days, and also for peer support outside of training. HSMA trainers are also on hand throughout to answer questions and offer advice.

For Phase 2 (9 months), HSMA's will have access to a community of experts including, data scientists, academics and HSMA tutors, who can provide support for projects in their areas of expertise. 

The HSMA Programme teaches exclusively Free and Open Source (FOSS) approaches. This also means that all software used is freely available at no cost. However, you may need your IT department to install the software on your work machine. Note – as you will be required to have the software installed and ready for the start of the programme, we recommend liaising with your IT department early to avoid delays in installing the software. We would also recommend, if possible, that you install the software on a personal machine for the training phase, should there be any delays or other issues with installing the software in time on your work machine.

The specific software used for each round of the programme may be subject to change, but the current requirements are :

1. The Python programming language
We recommend you install the Anaconda scientific package: https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/navigator 

2. An Integrated Development Environment (HSMA currently recommends Microsoft VSCode)
You will need an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) in order to develop your Python code.  You may use any IDE that you like, but we currently recommend Microsoft VSCode, which is the IDE used by the trainers on the course, and the one that you will be trained and supported how to use.  

VSCode is available for Windows, Linux and Mac Operating Systems, and is available here : https://code.visualstudio.com/Download

You should note that in order to write and execute Python code in VSCode, you will need to install some extensions and make certain configuration changes to the software.  You will be shown how to do this in one of the early training sessions of the programme, but your IT department must not block your ability to install extensions and configure VSCode to allow you to do this.

The Anaconda distribution also includes an IDE - Spyder - that has traditionally been popular for Data Science and was taught previously on the HSMA programme.  However, we have found newer versions of Spyder have often significant compatibility issues with some of the Python packages you will be using.  Therefore, we do not currently recommend the use of Spyder.  Anaconda also includes Jupyter Lab which works well for developing Jupyter notebooks - however, if you use VSCode, you can also work with Jupyter Notebooks without having to use this separate software. 

3. QGIS Version 3
Access online at: https://qgis.org/en/site 

4. Quarto 

Access online at: https://quarto.org/docs/get-started/ 

You will need to download and run the appropriate installer from the page above for your operating system.

5. Zoom and Slack
Strongly recommended if possible - otherwise, you will need to use the browser-based interfaces. All HSMA training sessions and other meetings will be delivered via Zoom, and all communication about the programme will be delivered via Slack. Access online at:

• Zoom: https://zoom.us

• Slack: https://slack.com/intl/en-gb

6. Insight Maker
Create a free account at https://insightmaker.com 

7. Google Account
Create a free Google account (if you don't already have one) to enable you to use Google CoLaboratory : https://colab.research.google.com 

8. Git version control software
This should already be installed if you are using Linux but see below for how to check) :

• If you're a Windows user, follow the installation instructions here (or request your IT department do this for you) : https://phoenixnap.com/kb/how-to-install-git-windows (IMPORTANT - unless you're feeling very brave, you should switch the default text editor configured during the installation process from Vim to something more friendly (such as NotePad++).

• If you're a MacOS user, follow the instructions here : https://git-scm.com/download/mac 

• If you're a Linux user, you'll likely find that your distro already has git installed. To check, open a terminal and type git --version and hit enter. If you get a version number displayed, it's already installed. If not, or you want to update to the latest stable version for your distro, follow the instructions here : https://git-scm.com/download/linux 

9. If you are using Windows, and do not have access to a Linux or MacOS machine for work, then it is highly recommended that you install and use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).  Whilst Windows is the standard operating system for most people working in health, social care and policing, it is also an extremely poor choice for those wishing to work in data science.  This is because a lot of widely used and cutting edge data science Python packages (particularly those used for Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing), including some of those taught on the HSMA Programme, are either poorly supported natively on Windows (with access only to older versions of packages) or do not exist at all.  If you are unable to access a computer running native Linux (or an Apple Mac which, like Linux, uses Unix, but which does have limitations in terms of GPU support for high-end machine learning), then we recommend you install Windows Subsystem for Linux, which allows you to install and work with a Linux Operating System within Windows, and therefore gives you access to all of the latest packages available only on Linux.

Installation instructions for Windows Subsystem for Linux can be found here : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install.  By default, WSL will install the Linux distribution Ubuntu, which is a good choice, particularly if you're new to Linux.  Once installed, you’ll then need to launch Ubuntu in WSL and install Anaconda in your new OS (see here for instructions on installing Anaconda in Ubuntu via a command line interface : https://www.hostinger.co.uk/tutorials/how-to-install-anaconda-on-ubuntu/).  Once all that is set up, you can set up VSCode to use WSL for development - this means you get access to all the Linux packages etc - by following the instructions here : https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/wsl

Whilst the HSMA Trainers use Linux for their research work, HSMA content is developed and checked in Windows to assess compatibility.  However, if you do not have access to a Linux OS, either natively or via WSL as described above, we are unable to guarantee that you will be able to use (and continue to use) all of the approaches taught in the programme, particularly as Windows support can often be removed for future versions in this fast paced sector.  Therefore, we recommend installing WSL wherever possible to ensure you can continue to use and apply the latest data science developments. 

Many IT departments are not used to installing non-proprietary software and may have concerns, such as security or support concerns. All software used on the programme is highly reputable and widely used across the world for Data Science. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) does not consider the security risks of open-source coding to be significant, and instead actually helps to promote good security practices (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/developers-collection). The NCSC has also published guidance on how to develop in a secure way : https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/developers-collection/principles/protect-your-code-repository.

Central NHS organisations are now heavily promoting and encouraging the use of Free and Open Source (FOSS) technologies and ways of working as the NHS moves its analytical capabilities into the wider world of Data Science and modelling. Those interested in finding out more should check out: 

• The NHS England Open Source Programme at https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/open-source 

• The NHS-X Blog on what it means to be an “open source organisation” at: https://healthtech.blog.gov.uk/2019/04/23/what-does-it-mean-for-nhsx-to-be-an-open-source-organisation 

• The NHS-R community which has helped to establish R as a routinely used open-source analytical tool in the NHS: https://nhsrcommunity.com/about 

It is also important to highlight that all software has potential vulnerabilities, including the proprietary software that you already have installed. Therefore, good software security practices should be maintained regardless of the software you are using.

Whilst Free and Open Source (FOSS) approaches have the obvious benefit of removing any financial barriers to obtaining software, this isn’t the primary reason why we use them. Rather, Free and Open Source software and development encourages a) transparency and b) collaboration.

a) Transparency: It is important to remember that the kind of models that you will build as part of the programme (and hopefully beyond) will make a real difference to people’s lives. People have the right to understand (or at least be able to interrogate) why a model has made a prediction that has led to changes that affect them.

b) Collaboration: We believe that the very best solutions arise as a result of collaboration, where we look for common solutions and can share good practice. Free and Open Source development removes barriers and allows people to collaborate across organisations and sectors for mutual benefits.

And if you still need further convincing, you should simply listen to Richard Stallman’s Free Software Song on a loop until you do agree.