The Challenges of Designing Healthcare Technology Without Hands-On Experience
In my three years working within a hospital environment, I came to realize just how complex and nuanced healthcare operations truly are. What was often startling was the number of technology vendors pitching “game-changing” solutionsโmany of whom had little to no firsthand experience with the realities of clinical workflows.
One particularly illustrative example was a startup that demoed a patient intake system. Their solution, albeit innovative on paper, would have inadvertently extended each appointment by an additional 20 minutes. This oversight stemmed from a lack of engagement with front desk staff, who have spent years honing their workflows. It became clear that no amount of engineering ingenuity could replace the insights gained from direct, ongoing collaboration with clinical staff.
Reflecting on my own journey, I acknowledge that I was once guilty of similar missteps. I developed a straightforward patient scheduling app, only to be blindsided by the complexities of insurance authorization, provider credentialing, and the various types of appointments clinics handle. It took months of working closely with clinic staffโlistening to their challenges and observing daily operationsโto create a solution that genuinely met their needs without disrupting existing workflows.
This experience highlights a broader issue: too many developers attempt to design healthcare solutions from their homes, without ever stepping into a busy clinic during peak times like flu season. In healthcare, the adage “move fast and break things” doesnโt hold waterโwhen things break, patients might miss their critical medications, or vital medical services could be delayed.
Have you also encountered the humbling realities of healthcare technology development? Or have you learned that simply digitizing processes without a deep understanding of clinical workflows often leads to inefficient or unusable solutions? Itโs clear that meaningful innovation in healthcare requires more than just coding skillsโit demands empathy, collaboration, and real-world experience.