Clinicians reimagine healthcare in new innovation program
In summary
- The Clinical Innovation Fellows program features a diverse range of clinicians taking creative approaches to major challenges
- The program fills a critical gap in the healthcare ecosystem by bringing design, industry and clinical lenses together
- In partnership with Monash Health and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the program is building an industry-connected network of experts who can help address major healthcare issues
What would improve the experience of waiting at an Emergency Department? Is there a way to destigmatize bowel cancer testing? Can medicine be digital? These questions, and more, are being answered in a first-of-its-kind initiative, run by Swinburne’s Medical Technology Victoria Hub (MedTechVic).
The eight-week Clinical Innovation Fellows Program sees a hand-picked group of clinicians from diverse backgrounds – from physiotherapists to gastroenterologists – use design thinking principles to create a tech-enabled solution to a real-life problem in their field of practice.
In partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) and Monash Health, the participants have developed comprehensive proposals to help improve lives.
MedTechVic Co-Director Professor Sally McArthur said the program was a perfect example of how MedTechVic was helping translate the insights of those in the sector into innovation.
"The Clinical Innovation Fellows Program is designed to fill a critical gap between clinical experience and industry development," said Professor Sally McArthur.
“The program isn’t just about upskilling. It’s about right-skilling.”
Innovative new solutions
Associate Professor Suong Le, consultant gastroenterologist at Monash Health, explored how to bring the innovative technology of digital medicine to Australia.
90 per cent of deaths in Australia are due to chronic disease. But despite the government spending $1 billion on this issue every year, only 25% of patients receive optimal management.
To help address this issue, Associate Professor Le developed a digital medicine collider to transform the design and delivery of technology-enabled medical interventions for chronic disease. The collider is designed to bring people together from across the healthcare ecosystem to co-create effective, proven and human-centred digital medicine solutions.
“We are harnessing the talent from within the healthcare workforce, allowing clinicians to convert their clinical insights at the coal face into digital medicines, which solve a real-world problem,” said Associate Professor Le.
Another participant, Dr Hamed Akhlaghi from SVHM, used his experience in the emergency department to develop an information system that would reduce anxiety in waiting patients. Associate Professor John Ding, also from SVHM, looked at how to save lives by creating user-centred testing kits to destigmatize the bowel cancer testing process. All are now working towards next steps to apply their insights.
New innovations to emerge
The program was designed to take clinicians through the innovation lifecycle, providing them with the skills required to be mentors and advisors within product and process development in industry. Working with industry experts, they explore the best ways to give a clinical perspective and have developed new connections across design, business, manufacturing and engineering.
The graduates have now formed a network of professionals that industry can draw on to craft meaningful, user-centred solutions. This allows them to move beyond solving a single issue to identifying challenges and solutions across the sector.
Demand for the program has already seen an increase in the size of the second cohort. The second group commenced in April with an equally diverse group of clinicians, including a pharmacist, podiatrist and plastic surgeon.
-
Media Enquiries
Related articles
-
- Health
Swinburne ready to kick goals with Yarra Junior Football League partnership
As a major partner of the league, Swinburne will support the Yarra Junior Football League with research into key areas such as participation, concussion research, personal development and mental health
Wednesday 10 May 2023 -
- Health
- Science
Illegal, occasionally deadly, and not much fun. What is the frog toxin Kambô and why do people use it?
Kambô is an oozy substance harvested from the defensive skin secretions of the Amazonian giant monkey tree frog. In the traditional medicine of some indigenous peoples of the Amazon, Kambô is applied to superficial burns on the skin of participants to produce an intense purging effect.
Tuesday 16 May 2023 -
- Social Affairs
- Health
Homelessness today sees workers and families with nowhere stable to live. No wonder their health is suffering
During the current housing affordability crisis, we’re seeing people who work and families with children becoming homeless or living in unstable housing. They may be living in a motel room, vehicle, tent or caravan park. They may be on a friend’s couch or on the street.
Friday 05 May 2023 -
- Technology
- Health
Co-designing assistive technologies with those living with disabilities
Swinburne researcher Hana Philips is looking to change the way assistive technologies are developed.
Thursday 18 May 2023 -
- Health
What are dead hangs? What are the shoulder pain risks and how do I do them safely?
You might have seen media articles or fitness influencers online urging people to do “dead hangs”, where one hangs loosely from a bar – usually with feet off the floor. The goal is usually to improve upper-body strength and shoulder stability, or stretch out muscles around the shoulder.
Friday 21 April 2023
