The Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) at Cambridge Judge Business School has teamed up with Doctorpreneurs.com, as well as a host of industry leaders and design experts, to create a fantastic opportunity to explore and develop digital health solutions. At a workshop on Saturday 4 May in Cambridge, clinicians will work alongside designers, engineers, business students, psychologists and computer scientists to gain firsthand experience of how design-based, human-centred approaches can be applied to real healthcare challenges identified by frontline doctors.
Digital technologies have revolutionized almost every area of our daily lives – our work, our social lives, the way we communicate and the way we travel – providing us with incredible tools to do things faster, better and cheaper. However, in contrast to most industries, digital innovation in healthcare has been slow to evolve.
Orsolya Ihasz, CfEL Programme Manager, said,
The healthcare sector is at a turning point and there is a need to embrace the digital revolution. The potential of technology to transform healthcare is mind-blowing – from wearable sensors to big data; collaborative tools to artificial intelligence. This opportunity along with a desire to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation across the University and beyond is the inspiration behind our first ever Design-Thinking for Health Workshop.”
The one-day workshop, which is the first of its kind to run in Cambridge, will bring together talent from a wide array of professions and disciplines to learn how to use Design-Thinking methodologies, pioneered by the Institute of Design at Stanford University and global design firm IDEO, to create human-centred solutions that meet user and customer needs. Interdisciplinary teams will include a qualified doctor and challenges will be based on real problems and opportunities that they have experienced as practising clinicians.
Dr Claire NovorolDr Claire Novorol, Medical Director at medx, an early-stage digital health startup and Founder of the Doctorpreneurs network said:
Frontline health professionals have a wealth of experience and insight into the challenges facing healthcare today. However, they frequently struggle to find talented people with complementary skills – design, engineering, business development – to help them bring those ideas to fruition. It’s also absolutely vital that entrepreneurs design products that truly meet the needs of users.”
The keynote talk will be given by Sue Siddall, Head of the London office of world-renowned design and innovation firm IDEO. The lead facilitator for the day, Andrea Koerselman, also used to work at IDEO, starting her career at their Palo Alto HQ before moving to London. Other facilitators and panellists include Cathy Prescott, founder of Biolatris Ltd; Aman Coonar, Consultant Surgeon at Papworth Hospital; Dr. Neil Golbourne, Head of Innnovation at Virgin Care and Ward Hills CEO of Ascend innovation.
About Doctorpreneurs.com
Doctorpreneurs is a community of medical entrepreneurs, doctors interested in digital innovation and healthcare change-makers. They meet through regular events to share their experiences and provide informal mentoring with the aim of nurturing the health startup space and driving forward innovative ideas.