How to Align Innovation with Patient Needs

Too many digital health solutions are built by well-intentioned tech teams, only to struggle with real-world adoption because they don’t fit into clinical workflows or reimbursement models. Why? This often happens because the technology is designed first, and then a healthcare problem is retrofitted to it—rather than starting with real clinical challenges and using tech to solve them. For healthcare innovation to truly work, clinicians need to be in the driver’s seat. Not just as end users, but as the ones shaping technology from day one. That belief is what led Kurt Roots, as a data scientist, and me, as a child/adolescent psychiatrist, to launch Bend Health—to build a system where clinical expertise and technology work together, not against each other. We knew that real change in pediatric mental health wouldn’t come from tech alone, but from integrating the right tools with the deep, hands-on experience of clinicians. So, what can clinicians do? ✔ Get involved early—ask questions about new tools being introduced. ✔ Join innovation initiatives—be part of the conversation, not just the end user. ✔ Partner with tech—if you see a gap in care, find a collaborator who understands healthcare’s complexity. The best solutions in pediatric mental health won’t come from tech alone or clinicians alone. It takes both. Let’s make sure clinicians aren’t just adapting to new technology—they’re leading the charge in shaping it. More on this in my latest blog: https://lnkd.in/gFkGfJKs #Innovation #MentalHealthInnovation #HealthcareLeadership #ClinicalInnovation #PediatricMentalHealth #DigitalHealth

The healthcare landscape is filled with brilliant insights and promising pilots that never scale. As human-centered designers, we excel at uncovering needs and creating compelling solutions—yet implementation remains our greatest challenge. Transforming promising pilots into widespread practices represents a profound opportunity to shape healthcare's future. When innovative approaches successfully scale, they create ripple effects—enhancing patient experiences, improving outcomes, and often reducing burden on care teams. Our opportunity lies in developing implementation approaches as thoughtful as our initial designs. Institutional inertia often presents the first major hurdle. Overcome this by starting with targeted 8-week interventions that demonstrate immediate value. Identify informal leaders who shape culture—the veteran nurse or respected physician whose opinions influence others. Create visual artifacts that make pain points undeniable and build emotional connection to the need for change. Regulatory concerns require thoughtful navigation. Invite compliance partners into design sessions from day one, giving them ownership in finding solutions. Distinguish between actual requirements and accumulated practices—you'll often find more flexibility than assumed. Consider modular implementation where less-regulated components can advance first. Address the human element of implementation. Design changes that reduce workload in visible ways—for every new step added, eliminate two. Create a "change budget" that acknowledges the cognitive costs and limits concurrent initiatives. Develop frontline champions who receive dedicated time for implementation support. For measurement challenges, create simple dashboards that include both traditional and experience measures. Develop visual data stories showing impact through multiple perspectives to build a compelling case. Establish 30-day feedback cycles where users shape refinements. When moving from pilot to scale, build solutions with a stable core and flexible edges that adapt to different contexts. Document "implementation recipes" with specific steps and resource requirements. Connect implementation teams across sites to share adaptations and solutions. By addressing these barriers with practical strategies, we can accelerate human-centered innovation in healthcare—moving from isolated bright spots to transformative change at scale.

Have you ever seen a promising healthcare technology fail? I’ve had the chance to sit in on a few pitch meetings. A groundbreaking solution with the potential to improve patient outcomes is introduced. But as the presentation unfolds, it becomes clear no one had spoken to the end users—clinicians and patients. The workflow doesn’t align with clinical realities, and implementation isn’t feasible for overburdened healthcare teams. Despite its potential, the innovation hits roadblocks because it doesn’t fit the clinical ecosystem. These experiences shaped how I approach healthcare innovation today. It’s not enough to create something transformative on paper. Success depends on understanding the environments and people the solution is designed to serve. Mapping workflows, gathering stakeholder insights, and planning for real-world implementation are critical to ensure great ideas don’t get lost in translation. The next wave of healthcare transformation depends on solutions that truly integrate into the clinical ecosystem. When innovation starts with these principles, it’s far more likely to succeed—and make a meaningful difference. #healthcare #innovation #technology #business #design