Innovation & Technology for Health
Innovation, in general terms, is something new or significantly improved (a product, service, process or method) that is being used/implemented and creating value to its users. Digital health innovations include all solutions managing health digitally, such as but not limited to, mobile health, health information technology, wearable devices and self-care, telehealth, distance monitoring and personalized medicine.
Innovations and technological advancements can transform and improve sectors making systems more sustainable. They also have the ability to effectivise processes, connect silos, enhance accessibility and improve monitoring procedures. Importantly, these data-driven innovative solutions will spur on behavioural changes.
This is an intentional process. Great solutions are co-designed with users from the start, considering motivations, constraints and social contexts that influences product or service integration. By following a structured approch, with early implementation in mind, you can increase your chances of developing impactful and sustainable solutions.
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The Toolkit
Welcome to the Innovation Toolkit! This is a 5-step toolkit with multiple shortlisted tools (in PDF format for easy printing), useable for individual or group settings. Inspired by the NHS Sustainable Healthcare Approach this toolbox presents an innovation process with a clear focus on the user and the context.
UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS
This first step in the innovation process is concerned with focusing on and not losing sight of the reason for the innovation, which is to support the delivery of better healthcare to the population. To do so you have to make sure that you understand the true needs of your users. You also have to understand the context in which the innovation will be implemented. Our end goal is that you DRIVE BETTER HEALTHCARE through people centred-actions.
SHORTLISTED TOOLS
1.1 Define the problem1.2 Validate needs
1.3 Map stakeholders
1.4 Analyse the context
EXPLORING THE IDEA
Now it is time to develop the concept — in close collaboration with the target users to ensure that they adopt the innovation.Understanding how people might respond to new services or technologies is embedded in psychology, social sciences and data sciences. It is important that the end user responses should be incorporated during the early stages of the design phase to address any behavioural risks that may arise after implementation. Following this process eill facilitate in BEHAVIORAL DE-RISKING.
SHORTLISTED TOOLS
2.1 Develop the concept2.2 Analyse feasibility
2.3 Plan for impact management
2.4 Investigate business and organisational model
2.5 Package the concept
DEVELOPING THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE
By now you have a pretty clear idea of your concept and it is time to test your concept in a real world environment, together with the future users. This aims at ensuring a seamless, explicit, simple and comprehensible interaction with the new technology. The people using your innovation need to be confident that with the provided guidelines, they can achieve the required outcomes. Through this step you will build a roadmap needed for a successful implementation. Our end goal is to help you MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TANGIBLE.
SHORTLISTED TOOLS
3.1 Test and validate the concept3.2 Develop the product/service
3.3 Decide on health care integration strategies
3.4 Set up an implementation plan
Make sure to revisit your insights!
IMPLEMENTING THE WORK
It’s time to put your vision into effect! You now have a good understanding of your users, the environment in which they act and you have a plan on how to follow and evaluate impact. Use roadmaps and user insights to make sure you, your team and your contractors stay on track and tweak the solution if needed. Efforts should be continuously focused towards the right kind of change in order to achieve the ultimate purpose. We encourage that you DELIVER EVIDENCE at every phase to inform and stay relevant.
SHORTLISTED TOOLS
4.1 Facilitate implementation
4.2 Evaluate impact and improve solution
4.3 Communicate benefits in order to scale
SCALING THE POTENTIAL
If the first implementation journey proves to be successful, you probably want to move on and spread your innovation to include a larger population and more implementation sites. You might also want to scale the potential by looking into other scenarios/settings, users or regions where your innovation could be of use.
When implementing in a new environment you might have to redo some, or all, of the steps in the innovation process, not least if moving into a new country - where completely new organisational, cultural and/or regulatory conditions might prevail. However, being able to communicate proven impact from one setting surely helps in your endeavour to scale into new contexts. Regardless of the intial outcomes, always aim to REACH A BROADER POPULATION with your work!
Do remember to co-create with your users to scale the potential in a new market or domain!
Want to know more?
There are many other recommended literature as references when you are digitalising the data. We have compiled a deep dive for you who like to read up more on the link below.
We wish you the best of luck digitalising your information and data!
DOWNLOAD FULL LIST OF REFERENCES
Operated by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden
and Makerere University in Uganda