A webinar for anyone who has been frustrated as a professional or patient in a healthcare setting.

Randeep will take us through an overview of how to take the first step towards getting your problem fixed. Explaining what's wrong to the people who might have the money, equipment, or expertise to help. 

This isn't about pitching a shiny solution to attract investors. 

It's about taking the first step to getting the right people on-side to work on what really matters.

Expert: Randeep Sidhu, Non Executive Director, NHS

Summary of the webinar:

Overview
This was the first event in the BMJ Future Health series, kicking off a series of webinars, discussions, and interactive sessions focused on healthcare innovation. The session explored how to effectively pitch problems in healthcare to the right people—whether tech experts, product designers, or funders—to drive real solutions.

Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction to BMJ Future Health

• BMJ Future Health aims to foster healthcare innovation that is:
  • Efficient
  • Equitable
  • Sustainable
  • People-centered (benefiting both healthcare workers and patients)
• The initiative focuses on real problems rather than commercially driven ones.
• Four content streams guide BMJ Future Health’s approach:
  1. Learning – Skills & capabilities for innovation.
  2. Develop – Generating & refining ideas.
  3. Discover – Exploring cutting-edge advancements.
  4. Connect – Bringing together the right people for collaboration.

2. Pitching the Problem: A Framework for Success
Understanding the Innovation Landscape in Healthcare
Randeep Sidhu broke down how different teams in tech & product development operate:

• Technology (Tech/Engineering): Developers & programmers who build solutions.
• Product Teams: Strategists who define what needs to be built based on user needs.
• Design Teams: Experts in user experience (UX) & interface (UI) who ensure solutions are user-friendly.

Who Are You in This Process?
As a medical professional, you are the "homeowner" in this analogy. You understand the problem firsthand but need architects (product teams), builders (engineers), and interior designers (UX/UI experts) to create the right solution.

3. The Five-Step Structure for a Great Problem Pitch
Randeep outlined a clear, structured approach to explaining healthcare problems effectively:

Step 1: Who I Am

• Establish credibility – Why should people listen to you?
• Keep it simple – Avoid jargon & use layman's terms.
• Share personal motivation – What drives you to solve this issue?
• Avoid frustration; focus on passion for change.

Step 2: What It’s Like Today (Describe the Problem)

• Help non-medical people understand your daily challenges.
• Explain how big the problem is – Give a clear scale & impact.
• Address common misconceptions – What do people get wrong about this issue?
• Preemptively acknowledge existing solutions and explain why they aren’t enough.

Step 3: Why the Future Can Be Better

• Paint a clear, optimistic vision of how the problem can be solved.
• Keep it open-ended – Avoid being too locked into one solution.
• Use physical analogies to make the concept tangible & relatable.
• Be realistic about technology – Avoid overhyping AI or other buzzwords.

Step 4: Why This Will Be Successful

• Demonstrate why people will adopt the solution.
• Show how it improves efficiency, cost savings, or patient outcomes.
• Provide evidence or data to support your case.
• Address competitive advantages – Why can’t someone else just copy this?

Step 5: What I Need from You

• Clearly define what you’re asking for – Time, expertise, connections, funding?
• Be upfront about commitment levels – How involved do they need to be?
• Make it a collaborative opportunity, not a one-sided request.
• Avoid hard-selling – Let the opportunity speak for itself.

4. Validating Your Problem
Before seeking support, gather strong evidence to back up your pitch:

• Hard Data: Research, statistics, NHS reports, funding gaps.
• Own Research: Surveys, clinical observations, case studies.
• Trends & Adjacencies: How other industries solve similar problems (e.g., Uber in transport → Telehealth in medicine).

5. Practical Tips for a Stronger Pitch

• Be "sticky" – Give people something memorable about your problem.
• Keep it simple – Avoid jargon, unnecessary details, or overly technical explanations.
• Use real-world analogies – Make abstract ideas tangible.
• Don’t overwhelm your audience – Keep it concise & engaging.
• Give them a way out – Don’t pressure people; let them see the value organically.

6. Next Steps: BMJ Future Health Call for Problems
Call for Problems – How You Can Get Involved
💡 BMJ Future Health is inviting problem submissions – just like a call for abstracts at a medical conference, but focused on challenges in healthcare that need solving.

• Submission deadline: August 31, 2024.
• Expert review panel: Leading figures from BMJ Future Health will assess problems based on impact, feasibility, and potential for collaboration.
• Opportunities for selected problems:
  • Participation in a workshop with industry experts.
  • Presentation at the BMJ Future Health event in November.
  • Inclusion in the Problems Expo, where participants can network and refine solutions.

🚀 “The best solutions come from clearly defining the right problems.” – Randeep Sidhu

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