Isabel is an experienced healthcare technology innovator and purpose-driven entrepreneur, committed to ensuring innovations reach their full potential to improve human health and improve societal outcomes.
In 2016, Isabel founded Immersive Rehab, a digital therapeutics startup focused on creating engaging and personalised neurorehabilitation programmes using virtual reality with the aim to improve patient outcomes and to enhance patient assessments by healthcare professionals. Her own rehabilitation journey after an accident led to the creation of her purpose-driven startup in patient care. Isabel has also led a number of strategic research and technology transfer projects at Imperial College London and University College London, she has been in charge of global innovation and policy projects at several international nonprofits, NGOs and intergovernmental organisations like UNESCO and the Global Disability Innovation Hub, and has worked in academia as a scientist and teaching fellow. Isabel is currently advising purpose-driven organisations of all sizes - with a particular focus on healthcare technology - on their business, innovation and product strategy.
With a background in Electro-Mechanical Engineering (MSc) and as a Biomedical Engineering Scientist (PhD), Isabel is passionate about healthcare technologies, digital health, assistive technologies, immersive technologies and its applications in healthcare, using tech for good, social entrepreneurship and innovation, and promoting diversity in science & tech.
The aim of this session is to introduce the discovery and ideation phases of the design thinking process in healthcare innovation in the digital age. In addition to this approach, the importance of having a clear strategy in place will be reviewed to assess the general context, the stakeholders involved and their needs to identify the health innovation problem to be solved. Once the problem has been clearly defined, the session will dive deeper into the iterative, human-centered design process for healthcare innovations in the digital age and address aspects like rapid prototyping, testing and validation of innovative digital health solutions. The session will also highlight the importance of stakeholder engagement in the development of innovative solutions in healthcare to understand the barriers and key factors leading to successful implementation. Finally, the session will highlight how to demonstrate the relevance and added value of healthcare innovations.
After this session, attendees will be able to :