12 Trends in Digital Health Physician Entrepreneurship

Arlen Meyers, MD, MBAPresident and CEO, Society of Physician

Entrepreneurs

1. EducationAs biomedical entrepreneurship education

programs evolve, more are offering specific interdisciplinary courses and degrees in data science and digital health entrepreneurship.

2. Early engagement Physician digital health entrepreneurs and

trainees are getting more and more involved in the early stages of new product design and development as founders, advisors or consultants.

3. No residency to join startup Some medical students are electing to not do a residency after medical school to pursue startup opportunities

4.Validation and verification Digital health entrepreneurs are starting to

understand the importance of demonstrating clinical validity of products and services by testing them in human subjects

5.Big bets on digital health Investors are increasing their bets on digital

health entrepreneurs

6. EcosytemsThe barriers to  digital health

entrepreneurship are falling due to increasing collaboration of members of emerging national digital health ecosystems.

7.Tech transfer changingAcademic medical centers are changing to

move from predominantly drug discovery and development interest to include digital health ideas and inventions. Several have rebranded their technology transfer offices into innovation centers with a focus on inside-outside collaboration.

8. IP and regulatory landmines The IP and regulatory landscape of digital

health is coming more and more into focus and importance

9. COINs driving changeBottom up, patient centered digital health

collaborations are becoming a major component of product development and deployment

10. Digital natives Generational digital native  knowledge, skills

and attitudes are driving the adoption and penetration of digital health.

11.DIY medicineRemote sensing, pattern recognition and

machine learning will change telediagnostics to a consumer electronics platform, further disintermediating doctors

12. New business models The driverless electric car and sharing

economy model has come to medicine.

SummaryMany remaining digital health gapsSick care innovation and technology

initiatives are multilayered and inter-systematic

Need to create and measure technological, commercial and clinical value

Thanks and questionsArlen. meyers@ucdenver.eduSociety of Physician Entrepreneurswww.sopenet.org