d·HEALTH Barcelona Part Time

The first edition of d·Health Barcelona Part Time kicked off in March. The program is a Biocat training activity that has fellows create and develop a technological solution based on unmet clinical needs using the Stanford University biodesign methodology.

The four multidisciplinary teams, made up of three or four fellows with different backgrounds (business, design, clinical practice and engineering), began their training to become healthcare innovators and entrepreneurs. Over the first weeks, the participants received training in the biodesign methodology, an introduction to the hospital and clinical area where they would do their clinical immersion, and introductory sessions on the healthcare ecosystem in Catalonia.

The calendar continued with the clinical immersion at four benchmark hospitals in Catalonia: Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí – Oncology Unit, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital – Rehabilitation Unit, Bellvitge University Hospital – Neurology Unit, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital – Nephrology Unit. The teams chose the needs with the greatest potential for creating a preliminary concept for their solution. The prototyping and business model was tackled in the final quarter of the year and presented on Graduation Day to hundreds of professionals from the sector.

• MyNeuroAssist
  The team that worked in the Rehabilitation Unit at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital designed a digital platform to create an ecosystem of non-professional caregivers to build a community with access to support, information, services and contacts.
   
• MetricsMind
  The team that was in the Neurology Unit at Bellvitge University Hospital designed a solution that monitors motor function to reduce the risk of secondary injuries in neurocritical patients, supporting healthcare professionals in decision making and optimizing costs.
   
• RenalScreen
  The group that did their clinical immersion in the Nephrology Unit at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital came up with a home test to detect albuminuria, a biomarker associated with CKD (chronic kidney disease). The idea is to connect the results to a risk calculator (app) and algorithm directly connected to the healthcare system.
   
• DuoDit
  The group at Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí (Oncology Unit) designed a temperature-controlled glove to prevent toxicity in patients receiving chemotherapy. The device comes in a portable case where it can be stored, charged and transported.

Apart from the project pitches, the event also included the master class “Beyond prototypes: surfing the waves of market trends in health” by Sergi Trilla. This session discussed the need for synergies and the importance of team work, particularly networking, and the need to shift from the idea of ownership of a network of contacts to sharing them with others.

Graduation Day was the final event after three days of pitch training and preparation, where the teams worked with experts on the best way to seduce investors.

This training program received support from the Catalan Ministry of Health, EIT Health and Tech Barcelona.