Patient Innovation: from the need to the market

Recent research shows patients and caregivers as an important source of clinically valuable innovations. Some of these solutions result in new commercial products and services. This paper explores the extent to which solutions... [ view full abstract ]

Recent research shows patients and caregivers as an important source of clinically valuable innovations. Some of these solutions result in new commercial products and services. This paper explores the extent to which solutions developed by patients and caregivers (as user innovators) became new commercial products and services. We analyze the process these patients and caregivers go through while trying to commercialize, and effectively bringing to the market the innovations they have developed. Our focus of analysis is the 600 solutions developed by patients and caregivers presented on Patient Innovation platform (https://patient-innovation.com) - an open platform for patients and caregivers of any disease and geography to share solutions they developed to help them cope with the challenges imposed by their disease or health condition.
We divided the innovations in two major groups: commercialized and not commercialized. The first includes solutions who were brought successfully to the market by their innovators, either by becoming entrepreneurs or licensing their solution; the second group includes all the other solutions that did not reach the market. Then we define four major dimensions to characterize each solution: novelty; health regulatory requirements; market size (number of patients that can benefit from using the solution). We discuss implications of one or more of these dimensions in driving patients and caregivers to not only innovate to overcome a problem imposed by a health condition but also to play an important role in the commercialization of their innovations.