Untethered and Digestible: Filling the Pipeline of Tomorrow’s Healthcare Gadgets

By Jessica Willing-Pichs, Principal, Research & Strategy

We all know that the US healthcare industry is grappling with whole-scale change instigated by the conflicting pressures of declining population health, physician shortage, escalating cost containment efforts, commercial consolidation and legislative reform. It is hoped by many that rapid, creative innovation in the intersection of technology and health will be a significant salve for the industry.

A pivotal cornerstone of our work here at Ximedica focuses on understanding and meeting the changing landscape of patient and clinician needs. Our user-centric philosophy is no different when it comes to the design, development and integration of digital health devices and services – these tools must also be designed with the patient and clinician in mind, considering their use environments, their abilities, their expectations and tolerances.

Ximedica designed and developed the Zeo® Sleep Manager™

Ximedica designed and developed the Zeo® Sleep Manager™

Today, consumers’ relationship with healthcare is shifting away from clinics and doctors’ offices to one that is more home-centric and holistic, informed by diverse but disconnected resources. An explosion of products deploying wireless sensors, continual tracking, web-enabled diagnostics, robotic and other new and exciting technologies seek to leverage this ‘enabled consumer’ trend. But based on our user insights, Ximedica believes long term adoption and improved clinical outcomes of many of these inventions will be severely limited.

A deep examination and forecasting of user expectations reveals development specifications that include un-tethered, digestible, proactive information and intervention, simple interaction, seamless caregiver system integration, transactional transparency, liability protection and regulatory compliance. The pipeline of tomorrow’s gadgets and widgets must strive to incorporate these requirements into their designs in order to meet the paradigm shift among today’s consumers.

To hear more on how to develop the pipeline of tomorrow and additional details on what this looks like from a design standpoint, watch Aidan Petrie (Co-Founder & CIO) speak on June 14 at the Digital Health Summit.

Can’t make it to the event? View Aidan’s full presentation on SlideShare.