Following our successful participation at Surgtech 2024, the Pd-m team embarked on an illuminating interview series with prominent delegates. Our goal was to gain first-hand perspectives on the key barriers hindering innovation in the medical technology field.
We conducted short interviews with leaders from University of Leeds, HistoSonics, OstomyCure, regional healthcare innovators, and regulatory experts.
The insights revealed systemic obstacles spanning funding constraints, regulatory complexities, lack of real-world evidence, organizational silos inhibiting collaboration, difficulties defining target populations and value propositions, and more.
Experts like Ian Newington highlighted how innovators often forge ahead without fully understanding the true clinical needs - resulting in misaligned solutions. He emphasized the importance of comprehensive user insights.
Others like Varaidzo Mapunde and Pete Culmer pointed to a lack of interdisciplinary knowledge sharing and collaboration across the vast healthcare ecosystem. Building partnerships to navigate development and commercialization pathways is critical.
Stringent regulations and approval body constraints were cited as major hurdles by Kevin Kiely and Al Mills. They recommended proactive compliance planning, agility amid evolving guidelines, and robust evidence generation.
Defining populations, demonstrating health economic value, and integrating sustainability were identified as challenges by Joshua King. He advocated rigorous research, economic modeling, and collaborative ecosystems.
The difficulties of validating solutions for practical NHS implementation were expounded on by Neville Young, highlighting co-creation with providers and rollout roadmaps.
Funding and regulatory barriers loomed large for Graeme L. Smith, who stressed investor outreach, regulatory strategies, public-private partnerships, and accelerators.
"Speaking with all these brilliant minds really drove home how complex the HealthTech innovation journey is," reflected our CEO, Richard Hall. "But it also showed there are absolutely ways to overcome every hurdle if we're strategic and inclusive from the start."
By confronting obstructions through prudent policies, synergistic collaborations and practical resources, we aim to create a sustainable environment for medical breakthroughs to flourish. Our comprehensive approach exemplifies our commitment to advancing technologies that improve patient care and propel the healthcare industry forward.