The healthcare industry has long relied on traditional, linear models of innovation – basic and applied research which leads to development and commercialisation. Innovations can take years, or even decades, to get off the ground and having been created ‘away from the patient’ the result is usually less than optimal.

Today it is widely recognised that person-centred design and “co-creation” can accelerate and humanise healthcare innovation. Patients are the co-designers, co-developers, and increasingly more responsible for their own healthcare outcomes.  Innovation is designed with deep empathy for the user, ending in new solutions that are tailor made to suit individual needs. There are three phases to person-centred design as explained in this video.

Health organisations are always looking for innovative ways to advance care, engage patients and streamline workflows for busy providers. In the search for fresh perspectives, many organisations are improving clinical and financial metrics through in-house innovation centres. These centres are seen as a cornerstone of survival in health care’s evolution as a consumer-driven market. Successful innovation centre’s include:

The Helix Innovation Centre

The Helix (Healthcare Innovation Exchange) Centre opened in 2014 to respond to increasing pressures on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). A pop-up design studio in the courtyard of one of London’s busiest hospitals, it’s a place where designers and engineers can work in close contact with clinicians and patients to identify challenges and provide solutions.

Helix projects are primarily focussed in three areas of healthcare:

• Early detection (novel diagnostics and screening tools)
• Effective treatment (digital clinical decision support systems)
• Holistic care (solutions for ageing well)

The Helix Centre works with an international network of healthcare partners across the public and private sectors and expertise has grown to include end of life care, clinical decision support, and stroke rehabilitation. Fruits of the collaborative centre include: Hark – a clinical communication platform, Amber Care Plans – easing the burden of decision making for loved ones, and ReSPECT – personalised recommendations for a person’s clinical care even in emergency.

The Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech)

Founded in 2012 and based at the Massachusetts General Hospital, CAMTech brings together multi-disciplinary teams of healthcare and non-healthcare professionals  and patients to co-design novel solutions to national and global health challenges. It does this through awards programs, hackathons and business acceleration activities.

CAMTech identifies pressing clinical needs, crowdsources innovative solutions, and accelerates the cycle from idea to patient impact. Innovations to come out of the consortium include: PRISMS, an app designed to mimic a pediatrician and send diagnosis and care suggestions by SMS, and Hemafuse, a low-cost auto-transfusion device.

The Mayo Clinic Centre for Innovation (CFI)

Established in 2008, CFI was the first healthcare innovation centre to employ a team of in-house designers. Under the motto “the needs of the patient come first” it utilises human centred design to transform the experience and delivery of healthcare. Hospital staff and patients work with clinicians, project managers, IT specialists, service designers, innovators and the wider community to think big, start small and move fast. Projects undertaken have included the redesigning of a clinical exam room and the OB Nest integrated care model for low-risk pregnancies.

What we can learn

Establishing a work culture that inspires innovation starts with executive buy-in. Cultivating a corporate infrastructure that supports the open exchange of ideas is something all management should consider and act on.

Health care organisations that put emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and invest in innovative projects and person-centred design are continually seen to improve healthcare delivery and operational efficiencies.

Start small if you need to and scale up just as these three examples have.