An Introduction to Innovation in Healthcare

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone looking to understand the process and challenges of innovation in healthcare. It will be of special interest to health practitioners, clinicians, health and social managers, and commissioners and innovators from the commercial sector.

It will be especially valuable if you work in health and social care as it will enable you to apply theories and approaches in your own workplace.

What topics will you cover?

The course aims to approach the challenges of healthcare innovation, while signposting useful tools and techniques. This course is not designed to cover all the aspects of healthcare innovation, but rather is designed to introduce learners to some of the core concepts and tools used in this field.

Week 1 defines the key concepts associated with the process of innovation and diffusion. We will also discuss the importance of, and opportunities for, innovation.

Week 2 examines how individuals and organisations can develop, test, and make the case for their healthcare innovation.

Week 3 considers the organisational and financial hurdles that must be overcome in order to bring healthcare invention to the market. We will also examine how to evaluate healthcare innovation.

Finally, Week 4 examines how innovation can be spread and sustained, concluding our course.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to…

Understand the need to engage in innovation.

Understand and apply the key steps involved to take an innovation from idea to realisation.

Evaluate how individuals and organisations might be encouraged to develop an innovation mindset.

Understand the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

Evaluate the challenges of healthcare innovation in relation to your own organisation.

Recognise healthcare innovation initiatives.