Digital Ecology Podcast

• People, Process, Technology: Why NHS Innovation Needs a Human Approach with Dr Helen Hughes

  In this episode I speak with Dr Helen Hughes, Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology at the University of Leeds and Director of the Behaviour Lab at Leeds Business School. Helen’s work focuses on the human side of systems, particularly how people think, feel and behave in complex environments such as healthcare and engineering.We discuss what ‘human factors’ means as a discipline and its application to both patient safety and wider technology adoption. Helen outlines the interplay between people, processes, technologies, and the overall healthcare system, emphasising that technology adoption always affects and is affected by the human and social dimensions of organisations. She says that it is not enough to focus on the technical aspects of adoption alone; the environment, existing processes, and particularly the people are equally, if not more, important.Helen shares insights from her work supporting technology implementation in healthcare and describes the pitfalls of “cookie cutter” approaches that fail to account for different cultures, contexts, and workflows across wards or organisations. Stressing the importance of early and sustained stakeholder engagement, bringing people with you rather than imposing change.We also discuss the idea of “system readiness.” While there are established ways of assessing if a technology is ready for use, there’s far less focus on understanding if the wider system is ready for the changes a new technology might bring. This episode is a useful introduction to the field of human factors, grounded in real-world experience and with practical takeaways for clinicians, digital teams, and technology companies alike.If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

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• Behind the Scenes of digital in NHS: Rochelle Gold on User-Centered Design

  In this episode I speak with Rochelle Gold, Head of User Research at NHS England. Rochelle’s background spans research in health, social care, and digital technology, and we explore the evolving role of user research and user-centred design in the NHS, both on a national scale and at the local level.Rochelle shares what her main role involves, from setting standards and policy for ethical and safe user research across NHS England, to overseeing design operations and leading and developing user centered maturity across NHS products and services. We discuss in detail what user research really means in practice and how it’s less about asking people what they want and more about understanding their real needs and behaviours in context. We touch on Rochelle’s own career journey, her original training as an occupational psychologist, and the many backgrounds people bring into user research roles, from clinical practice, other types of research, and beyond. Finally, we discuss the wider future of user-centred design in the NHS, including the need for stronger connections between digital, policy, and operational teams, and the growing importance of multidisciplinary working, including with QI and improvement colleagues, to deliver better services for both staff and patients.This is for anyone working in digital health, clinical leadership, or service improvement who wants to better understand what robust user research and user-centred design look like in practice, and how these principles can be applied across different levels of the NHS.If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

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• S3 E3 - Designing for Mortality and Innovation in Healthcare with Ivor Williams

  In this episode, I sit down with Ivor Williams, a designer with a background in both UX and product design with a focus on mortality and end of life care. Ivor brings a unique perspective to design in healthcare with his experience spanning academia, startups, and current independent venture, Delving into his work at Imperial College with palliative and end of life care projects. We talked about what it means to design for "death care", an area that bridges end of life care with the broader context of funeral services and legacy. Ivor shares insights on how design can facilitate change in outdated systems, drawing parallels to technological disruptions in other industries.We then explore his own company, Mortal, a service that encourages individuals to engage with their mortality. Ivor describes the five-week program that helps people confront existential questions in a group setting, highlighting how early contemplation can lead to a fuller life.Ivor reflects on his time at the Helix Centre and Acurex, discussing the role of design in healthcare innovation. He emphasises the importance of human connection, embracing difficult conversations, and how technology should augment rather than replace human capabilities.We talk about the importance of designing with a systems-thinking approach in the NHS, recognising that sustainable change requires understanding the interplay of people, processes, and technology.Join us for an enlightening discussion about the intersections of design, healthcare, and mortality, and how these considerations can transform patient care and healthcare systems alike.If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

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• S3 E2 - Journey of Tiny Medical Apps: Greg Burch on Digital Health Innovations

  In this episode, I sit down with Greg Burch, a specialty doctor in the emergency department and co-founder of Tiny Medical Apps. Greg has been working in clinical settings for many years and shares his journey into the world of digital health innovation.Greg's professional background and the inception of Tiny Medical Apps, an app designed to support young individuals in managing their health conditions. He explains the rationale behind their digital health passport and why they started with asthma. We also discuss the challenges they've faced, such as regulatory barriers and the complexity of the NHS landscape.Greg gives us insight into the assumptions they had when starting their digital health company and how those were challenged. He shares the marketing strategies they've employed, such as their use of TikTok to reach young audiences, and the importance of understanding both user needs and system navigation in health tech innovation.Greg offers his perspective on the future of digital health, the tenacity needed to succeed, and how Tiny Medical Apps hopes to create a sustainable impact in addressing health inequalities. Outlining his hope for better funding models that focus on long-term impact and benefit smaller, high-need groups.Join us as Greg shares valuable lessons and insights on navigating the intersection of clinical practice and digital health innovation.If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

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• S3 E1 - User-Centered Design in the NHS: Personas, Prototypes, and Pain Points with Lindsay Lewis & Hayley Grafton

  In this episode, I speak with Hayley Grafton, the Chief Nursing Information Officer at University Hospitals Leicester, and Lindsay Lewis, a master’s student in Service Design at the University of the Arts, London. We discuss their collaborative project focusing on medication management, which is part of Lindsay's Master's degree project.Delving into the use of personas to improve user engagement with new systems. Lindsay shares her approach to developing personas based on survey data from 30 nurses, where she categorized them into three groups: Adopters, Pragmatic Acceptors, and Worried Skeptics.Hayley and Lindsay explain the complexities of change management in the resource-constrained NHS environment. Hayley describes how Shared Decision-Making Councils at her trust give staff time to improve workflows and suggests they could involve nurses in solving operational challenges in the future.Lindsay provides valuable insights from her user research, emphasising the significance of understanding user attitudes. Her research highlighted equipment challenges and system workflow issues, offering a clearer view of why scanning compliance was low among nurses.We also explored the cultural and practical barriers to adopting new technologies, such as the culture of overriding scan prompts due to initial equipment challenges. Lindsay's creation of storyboards helped articulate workflow inefficiencies, which was pivotal in understanding the issues nurses faced.The episode is rich with information on service design, user-centered approaches, and the practical challenges of integrating new digital systems in the NHS. I invite you to listen and gain insights into this impactful collaboration.If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

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