Integrating Technology into Healthcare Systems
I’m so happy to be back on the research side of things. I love innovation, but for me the research comes first because I need scientifically proven facts to move forward, to know where the crack are. How are you going to innovate if you don’t study the research? How are you going to innovate if you don’t conduct research? How are you going to innovate if you don’t study the data?
We enjoy conversations about the latest tech devices and trends, futurism , and global business models that drive innovation and improve patient outcomes. We all have ideas about the types of technologies/solutions that will help evolve healthcare and secure its future along with various respective business interests. The process of adopting an evidence‐based, multifaceted, innovative program or technology into the hospital setting is challenging. Hospital Leaders and entrepreneurs should pay particular attention to issues that promote or impede its implementation.
Executives experienced in driving medtech innovation understand delivering value is more difficult than often anticipated, however, with the proper strategy and tactical execution plan it’s possible.
First, assemble the right team and develop a short and long term strategy. Pay attention to many influence factors when devising a strategy. The factors that will positively impact one area can negatively impact another. Clinical adoptability is important, there are many great products and technologies that never achieve market success because they require a clinician to do something different or take extra time to perform a task. Keep in mind a product’s success depends on both the end user and the advocate; if the targeted audience will not use a device, its chances of commercial prosperity are virtually non-existent.
Reimbursement for a new product solution is a critical to implementation and overall success . The CEO, CFO, CIO, CIO and CSO want to know up front whether there is coverage, coding, and payment before they move forward. New technology needs to demonstrate better outcomes at equal or lower costs before they pay for them. Most hospitals have value analysis committees to evaluate all new products prior to entering a hospital or clinic setting.
Hospital leaders also consider the operational footprint, where an organization chooses to build and launch new technology and products can considerably impact both the market opportunity and the margin of possibilities for solutions.
When is the right time to begin thinking about all the aforementioned factors that potentially can impact product adoption? Begin with the end in mind, the patient. The product designed for a patient population may not work well in one hospital, but it might be a great solution for another hospital. However, it might never be adopted across all hospitals in that healthcare system or in another region because it is simply not feasible in certain areas. Hospital leadership and infrastructure are restructuring and re-prioritizing, know their high priority areas
Innovating internally and find the top clinical unmet needs and design solutions to fulfill those need. Internal R&D Activities are an excellent strategy for driving innovation. Hospitals, IT, engineers and researchers can decide on where the starting line is, where do the research and development activities begin. There are numerous examples of promising technologies that have not been adopted simply because the clinician had to use his or her left hand instead of the right or because it took an extra two minutes to actually implement the solution. This is why the research protocols and pilots for medical device innovators/entrepreneurs matter. How will they use it?
Using outside partners requires careful consideration of the kind of collaborations that best suit the research and technology, this can include: licensing and/or distribution alliances or acquisitions of the desired innovation. Collaborations and strategic partnerships, of course, can be rather complex when using outside consultants but hiring the right people to manage this process can minimize the difficulties associated with accessing external partners.
C-Suite executives need to establish their high priority areas and create pathways to reduce silos. Any major issues that arise should be dynamically addressed in order to diminish the risk of unpleasant and costly project surprises. Medical devices, internal innovation teams, hospital leaders with a patient-centric mindset are in the position to develop the kind of technology the patients want.
