Frectally speaking

You’ve read much of the challenges facing healthcare.

Despite all the promise of change, you’ve likely read much of the challenges of healthcare innovation with technology.
“When you think how technology has reshaped everything from the way we shop to how we communicate with friends, the lack of progress made by the NHS is astonishing.”  The NHS’s troubled relationship with technology, BBC News, Jan 16th 2013

So here is a good news story, an example of innovation in healthcare you don’t often see…

Billed as the Healthcare Design Challenge, run by the US Challenge.gov agency who kicked off a contest with a prize back in October 2012.

The brief was pretty simple.. “We challenged designers across the country to reimagine the patient health record.”

1. Improve the visual layout and style of the information from the medical record
2. Create a human-centered design that makes it easier for patient to manage their health
3. Enable health professionals to more effectively understand and use patients’ health information
4. Help family members and friends care for their loved ones

The competition was run over 3 months, attracted over 200 submissions, competing for a prize of $50,ooo USD.
Yes.
Just 3 months (October 2012-Jan 2013),
Over 200 submissions (230+),
Sharing a prize of $50,000 USD ( a tiny tiny tiny % of US Healthcare spend)

The results they got were fantastic.
You can have a look at the successful outputs of the Healthcare Design Challenge here.

A good news story and a pointer to one important way forward to healthcare improvement..