Digital Health Innovation Using the Biodesign Process

Throughout this course, you will be introduced to digital health innovation and entrepreneurship using the proven Stanford Biodesign process, taught by a physician and Harvard HealthTech Innovation fellow, Dr Bharadwaj Chada.

You will be taken through the “identify, invent, implement” phases of the process, and learn about the stages underpinning each phase.

In the “identify” phase, you will develop the key skill of crafting needs statements, the cornerstone of the Biodesign process. You’ll then learn how to screen and shortlist these needs statements until you’re left with a few top needs. You’ll also be taught how to evaluate the “disease” or “problem” state fundamentals of the area you’re working in, before learning the essentials of market and competitor analyses.

In the “invent” phase, you’ll start to apply design thinking techniques, such as using “How Might We?” questions to generate innovative concepts that will underpin your digital health solution. We’ll discuss the importance of prototyping for digital health, and learn more about some resources to help with wire-framing and prototype development.

Finally, in the “implement phase”, you’ll be introduced to key commercial and strategic considerations, such as securing regulatory approvals for digital health products, protecting your intellectual property (IP), and understanding potential approaches to reimbursement and business modelling. The course will culminate with an overview of the core components of a compelling pitch deck.