Human-centered design drives better outcomes

Access

Helping more people around the world relies on our understanding of people’s needs.

True innovation is not defined by technological prowess. At its core, innovation is defined by its ability to enhance our humanity and improve the ways in which we can help each other. So, when it comes to the future of healthcare innovation, even the smallest, human-centered detail can make a world of difference. Just one breakthrough in design can expand who has access to it.

Patient-first R & D

With rigorous clinical trials and a focus on infusing diversity into research, we develop an understanding of how to reach new populations. But just because a healthcare innovation exists doesn’t mean it’s getting used effectively and equitably. We listen to patients’ needs, study their situations, and develop solutions — on the scale of one individual’s experience and across the breadth of the global communities we serve.

Our first job is to understand the context of care — the cultural, social, and economic factors in a patient’s life. Take high blood pressure, the silent killer. Millions of people don’t know they have it, and even a diagnosis doesn’t mean a clear, accessible path to treatment. Patient-first thinking tells us not to improve existing diagnostics but, rather, to ask what’s holding people back and what more we can do after a diagnosis. We have devoted years of research and development to investigating the nerves that lead to and from the kidneys and how a minimally invasive device might help some patients who have high blood pressure. In other situations, patients have the care that they need — but their healthcare teams are sorting through troves of data outputs, unsure where to start.

Making sense of complex data across multiple sources of information to improve care has become easier with AI. In the past, diabetes care relied solely on blood-sugar measurement to adjust the therapy — a reaction to something that has already happened in the body. By using AI, we hope to integrate data about the patient from multiple angles, such as lifestyle, activity, and diet, to tailor therapy before the sugar level starts to change.

From investigating new frontiers to designing devices that respond in real time, we are reminded that barriers to care and needs of patients are as nuanced as the patients themselves. We need human-centered design thinking — an approach that focuses on both the simple and the complex needs of those who use our products — to help close the gaps and secure the future of healthcare.

Underserved communities routinely face barriers to quality healthcare. In 2021, Medtronic launched new health equity strategies to reduce inequities in the utilization of healthcare technology for Hispanic Latino and Black communities, including partnerships with the American Diabetes Association and T1D Exchange to increase access to diabetes therapies. To address racial disparities and advance social justice in Black communities in the United States, the Medtronic Foundation committed $16 million in partnerships with five U.S. nonprofits in 2021 focused on health and STEM education.

To respond to the challenges of COVID-19, we continued to support our employees, patients, healthcare professionals, and global communities. In addition to helping meet the staggering demand for ventilators, remote patient monitoring technologies, and more, Medtronic and the Medtronic Foundation contributed $52.9 million collectively for ongoing COVID-19 relief since the start of the pandemic, including $26.6 million in product donations. Through these efforts, Medtronic Foundation partners supported 34,000 global health workers and 289,000 patients.

We talk about the role of technology and computer simulations in the future of healthcare; but, at the end of the day, you have human beings advancing patient safety, quality, and innovation day in and day out.”

–Noel Colón, Chief Quality Officer, Medtronic

Human-centered design

We have always put people at the center of our design process. But as people continue to expect more from their care, they also expect more from their devices. People don’t want just their clinical needs met — they want their emotional needs met, too.

Led by the Innovation Lab, our hub that supports the creation of a wide range of products and therapies anchored in human-centered design, departments across our organization are developing a deeper understanding of both patients and providers.

Working in the field, we saw that most hospitals had only a handful of telemetry machines — a device that measures patients’ vital signs. The time it took to wheel in the machine, use it, and lug it to the next room prevented teams from working as efficiently as they could. This insight inspired us not to “rethink” the machine but, instead, remove it altogether. With a new software, telemetry technology can be downloaded in minutes to any iPad and used with an inexpensive reader. This healthcare innovation broke down physical barriers between doctor and patient, as well as improved efficiencies and quality of care.

In the United Kingdom, a small but mighty camera tells a similar story. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide.¹ With screening, it can be one of the most preventable — but screening means a trip to the hospital and an invasive endoscopy procedure. While COVID-19 made endoscopies harder to schedule, many patients had already been avoiding them. We designed a camera that can be delivered directly to a patient’s home and swallowed. This allows patients in the United Kingdom an innovative and more private approach to care while also saving health systems time, resources, and lives.

Human-centered design connects what a patient experiences (their condition, resources, and knowledge) to a healthcare innovation that would truly make their daily life better. By understanding the patient experience, we can reach this solution with less guesswork, fewer mistakes, and without the technology getting in the way of what brings people together — our connection.”

–Danny Gelfman, Distinguished Designer, Medtronic Innovation Lab

A workshop in Rwanda with the humanitarian organization Alight to establish more proactive care practices

Led by compassion, driven to care

When the Medtronic Innovation Lab began its work in Rwanda with the humanitarian organization Alight, there were few resources for basic human needs — let alone time to imagine the future of healthcare. We introduced compassionate, proactive care practices — and soon after, the Amandi Compassionate Care Initiative was formed. The program identified ways to help members of the Gihembe refugee camp navigate their way to clinics. The clinics themselves were redesigned to be more welcoming to everyone who stepped inside.

Healthcare technology that’s greater than the sum of its parts

Innovation is fueled by our purpose. But without people at the center, the future of healthcare can become more about the latest device available for some instead of the latest medical breakthrough available for all. As data and AI continue to progress further than any of us could have imagined even a year ago, the patient factor — the human connection — will be vital to unlocking access for people around the world. 

https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/colorectal-cancer(opens new window)

See more stories

Access

Helping more people around the world relies on our understanding of people’s needs.

Patient-first R & D