Centering patients is the way to succeed in healthcare, industry experts say

The complexity of the US healthcare system is top of mind for many people right now — and industry leaders are calling on startup founders to recognize the big-picture challenge.

Beyond just perfecting new technology, understanding how it fits into the wider healthcare ecosystem will make the company more likely to have an impact on patients, said Tiffany Wilson, president and CEO of the University City Science Center, at a panel last week to welcome the sixth cohort of its Capital Readiness program.

Paying attention to trends at all levels of healthcare matters, not just because of its impact, but also because the challenges and opportunities that pop up could impact the effectiveness of a company, said Nora Dowd Eisenhower, volunteer state president of AARP Pennsylvania. 

“Doing your research, looking across these populations that are being served by government systems, by not-for-profits, [non-governmental organizations],” said Eisenhower. “Look at them and see where you can help solve some of the problems that really confront them.” 

To make the healthcare system most effective, founders, along with other people in the healthcare ecosystem, need to work together and understand each other’s perspectives and the patients, panelists said.

Founders often focus on product development without considering the context of the health system their product will exist in. Without those details, it’s possible their tech won’t integrate into patients’ lives well, undermining its accessibility, Bon Ku, a program manager at ARPA-H.

Founders should consistently revisit the problem they’re trying to solve, and ask if what they’re doing is productive, Ku said. The more you understand the problem, the easier it will be to find a technology solution.

“What I see is an over-emphasis on the tech piece, and not going back to the root of the problem,” he said. “One, is this problem really worth solving? Two, have I considered all the different stakeholders when I’m developing this new product or service?” 

Considering other stakeholders’ perspectives means they’re thinking ahead about whether the product will be covered by insurance or if there will be any issues with regulatory rules, according to Ku. 

Founders will be most successful if they know the patient well

Above it all, however, the patients come first. 

Before founders start testing products, they need to understand the full scope of the population that they’re serving or else their product might not be a realistic solution, said Lily Higgins, corporate chief medical officer of AmeriHealth Caritas’ Pennsylvania Medicaid. 

For example, Higgins tried to help a startup test its product with patients, but the pilot was unsuccessful because many of the participants didn’t have enough outlets in their homes to support the devices they were given to track their data. If they’d spent more time understanding the patient’s circumstances, they could’ve offered them a simple fix like an extension cord, she said.

Generally speaking, strong healthcare systems are built on collaboration, said Wilson. Between providers, payers, researchers, founders and other stakeholders, many groups go into a single person’s treatment.

Higgins recalled an example where her patient’s parents didn’t know how to administer medication to their child after picking it up. She worked with a pharmaceutical vendor and medical equipment provider to create a system for providing medication immediately so she could demonstrate it. 

Patients, providers and researchers can share feedback from the start. If founders understand how their product fits into other sectors, it gives them a better shot at helping people, Ku from ARPA-H said. 

“There needs to be a lot of user testing going on and feedback,” he said. “To make sure that the services that we’re delivering, these new products, are accessible to all populations.”