We often take good health for granted until we or someone we care about has a difficult diagnosis, accident, or extended experience with trying to manage our health. After many years of working with healthcare entrepreneurs and innovators, I’ve learned most people don’t take on the role of introducing a new idea or making healthcare changes unless they are driven by passion and purpose, typically sparked by something they’ve experienced or witnessed.
When doing initial interviews, one of my first questions is the origin story; what got them started? Nine times out of ten there is an identifiable experience that launched their journey. For Candice Smith with Caregiven, it was providing support for her father, for Allyson Schrier with Zinnia TV, it was providing support for her husband, and for Jake Carpenter with DSPhire, it was his experience with his brother.
LIke these entrepreneurs, we all rely on the healthcare system to help us and those we love to treat and maintain our health, but they took the inspired step to make it better not only for their loved ones, but for everyone. Using them as examples, what else could be done to make improvements? The December 23rd Health TIE Open Innovation is an open healthcare ideation event: what would you change and why? Come discuss healthcare ideation and how ideas go from problems to products. We just might just start the next healthcare revolution!