Patient Innovation is a non-profit organization that empowers patients to share solutions they have developed to improve their own lives and the lives of others dealing with similar health issues. The organization's website allows patients from over 60 countries to submit and view innovations, with over 1,500 submissions to date covering devices, software, and services that address unmet needs for conditions like cystic fibrosis, paralysis, and mobility issues. Many of the shared solutions are new inventions, but others involve using existing technologies in new ways or sharing knowledge about treatment strategies.

1. Revolutionizing Healthcare via Patient Innovation
Empowering Patients, Sharing Solutions, Improving Lives
Pedro Oliveira
patient-innovation.com | facebook.com/PatientInnov | twitter.com/PatientInnov

2. 60.000 users from the 5 continents
0,5 million page views/year
1,5 innovations/day (~3 submissions/day)
Out of 1600 submissions; about half are rejected at “screening”
From over 60 countries from US to South Korea
2Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

3. Tal Golesworthy
“So I said to myself: I’m an engineer, this is just a plumbing problem.”
3Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

4. Amit Goffer
“Once I realized there was not an alternative to the wheelchair,
I couldn’t understand why!”
4Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

5. Michael Seres, UK
5Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

6. Louis Plante, Canada
6Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

7. Emily Haager, CF patient
the ‘saltwater treatment’
Parents of CF children
the use of a trampoline
Hanna Boguslawska, mother of CF patient
electrical percussor
David Day, father of CF patient
Computer games
7Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

8. #
Joaquina Teixeira, Portugal
8Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life
“Doctors don’t teach us these things.”

9. 9Sharing Solutions, Improving Life
Kylie’s father
the intravenous backpack
Debby Elnatan
the Upsee – a mobility device for children

10. Quality of life differences
Scale 1-5
Patients
mean (SD)
Caregivers
mean (SD)
Products 2.2 (1.5) 1.7 (1.4)
Services 1.8 (1.4) 2 (1.7)
Total 2 (1.4) 1.9 (1.6)
New to
the world
New to the
patient
Shown it locally to other patients 89% 92%
Shown it to medical
professionals 5% 2%
Shared the info on a
website/blog/social network 37% 28%
Shared it through media 16% 8%
other 25% 13%
Oliveira, Zejnilovic, Canhão and von Hippel (2015)
10Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life
28%
8%64%
new to the patient new to the world did not innovate
n = 500
Patients and caregivers often develop innovative solutions to
help them cope with their disease

11. www.patient-innovation.com

12. Giesbert Nijhuis, The Netherlands
(tetraplegic after accident)
12Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

13. Gérard Niyondiko (Burkina Faso)
“I almost died from malaria while doing
my military service in Burundi, where I was
almost left for death because of malaria”
Faso Soap: Low-cost mosquito
repellent made with natural
and local ingredients. It leaves
a scent on the skin for up to 6
hrs.
Estimated to save 100,000
lives by end-2018
Mosquito repellent soap for Malaria prevention
13Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

14. Ivan Owen
14Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

15. Nuno
15Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

16. Type of solutions
Devices 72%
Software (apps) 13%
Hybrid (devices+software) 6%
Strategies & services 9%
18%
wheelchair-
related Solutions
10%
3D-printed
devices
7% prosthesis 2,2%
3D-printed
prosthesis
41%
Main type of devices
850 SOLUTIONS SHARED & APPROVED
Country of origin
1. USA (50% of all the solutions)
2. UK (11%)
3. Belgium (5%)
4. Australia & Canada (4%)
5. Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, France, India, Portugal
Growing interest from emerging economies (Africa, Southeast Asia)
• Over 1600 submissions from 60 countries
• Current average is 1,5 solutions approved/day (0.7 approved/day 2014-17)
16Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

17. 17
Non-profit Startup of
the Year
Recognition by United Nations
Secretary General Ban Ki-moonAACSB’s Honoree
World Government Summit
Awards
Only non-US semifinalist. more votes from crowd out of 475 candidates

18. Number of visitors so far >1 million
On the road until end of 2018
European Tour
18Patient Innovation: Sharing Solutions, Improving Life

19. Team

20. THANK YOU
patient-innovation.com
www.facebook.com/PatientInnov
twitter.com/PatientInnov