Why is Transitional Care innovation so challenging?
Moving between healthcare settings, whether an elderly patient returning home after hospitalization or a young adult shifting from pediatric to adult care, can be overwhelming. While innovative solutions have the potential to make these transitions smoother and more efficient, real-world implementation is often hindered by regulatory, financial, and practical challenges.
Addressing these challenges requires a strategic approach to integrating innovative solutions into transitional care. The Evolve2Care Project is committed to this goal, leveraging collaboration and evidence-based strategies to drive meaningful change. Deliverable D1.1, “Roadmap on Navigating the Complexities of Enabling Innovative Technologies in Transitional Care,” provides a structured framework to support stakeholders—such as startups, researchers, investors, healthcare professionals, and policymakers—in overcoming barriers to HealthTech adoption.
Through literature review, surveys and stakeholder interviews conducted within the preparation of D1.1, the findings highlight key trends, stakeholder perspectives, and the crucial steps needed to drive effective innovation in transitional care.
What common patterns emerge in transitional care innovation?
Through research, surveys, and expert interviews, three major themes emerged as pivotal in shaping the future of transitional care:
● Regulatory Complexities: Navigating healthcare regulations is challenging due to inconsistencies across regions.
● User-Centered Design & Usability: Healthcare professionals and patients stress the importance of easy-to-use technologies. No matter how advanced a solution is, its success hinges on real-world usability and seamless integration into existing healthcare workflows.
● The Role of Funding as a Key Enabler: Funding is a major driver of transitional care innovation, helping ideas grow from prototypes to real-world impact. However, many innovators struggle with financial barriers, while policymakers stress the need for sustainable funding models. Public-private partnerships are emerging as a key solution, especially for high-risk healthcare technologies that need validation and testing.
Where do stakeholders see things differently?
Despite a shared goal of improving transitional care, different stakeholders often approach the problem from unique angles:
● Innovators vs. End-Users (Healthcare Providers and Patients): Innovators focus on technical challenges like interoperability and data security, while healthcare providers prioritize ease of integration and efficiency in daily practice. Patients, on the other hand, value user-friendly solutions that empower them in self-care.
● Innovators vs. Policymakers: While innovators push for faster regulatory approval pathways, policymakers emphasize regulatory rigor to ensure safety.
● Healthcare Providers vs. Patients: Healthcare providers are concerned with the adoption of new technologies within clinical workflows such as training requirements, costs, and system integration, while patients focus on ease of use and how well a technology fits into their daily lives.
● Living Labs vs. Innovators: Living labs focus on real-world testing and iteration of new healthcare technologies, while innovators prioritize technology development and market readiness, sometimes viewing feedback as an added complexity.
How can we align perspectives and drive change?
To turn challenges into opportunities, stakeholders must work together to ensure the effective advancement of transitional care innovations.
Key areas for alignment include:
● Collaboration between Innovators and End-Users: Engaging healthcare providers and patients early in the design process ensures solutions that are practical and easy to adopt.
● Balancing Flexibility and Regulation: Policymakers and innovators must work together to harmonize regulatory frameworks across countries, making pathways clearer while maintaining patient safety standards.
● Sustainable Funding Models: Policymakers and funding bodies must establish long-term, outcome-driven funding models to support the development and scaling of transitional care innovations.
What’s next for transition care innovation?
To truly transform transitional care, innovation must be practical, well-regulated, and financially sustainable. Here’s how we can make it happen:
● User-Centred, Interdisciplinary Approaches: By involving interdisciplinary teams in the development process, new solutions can be ensured to be clinically effective, user-friendly, and seamlessly integrated into care workflows.
● Clear and Flexible Regulatory Pathways: Streamlining approval processes while ensuring patient safety requires ongoing collaboration between innovators, regulators, and healthcare providers.
● Improved Funding Support: Policymakers must ensure long-term financial backing for impactful solutions. Sustainable funding structures are needed to support pilot projects, commercialization, and scaling of transitional care innovations.
The Evolve2Care Project continues to explore how we can bridge the gaps in transitional care, ensuring that innovation leads to real-world improvements for patients, providers, and the entire healthcare ecosystem.
