Driving Digital Health Innovation
Nick Hamilton, Innovation Lead at the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub, shares his experiences on how he used his sports engineering background to foster innovation in the digital health sector.
Since December 2023, I have been leading the Innovation Pipeline within the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub, helping to transform digital healthcare through collaboration, cutting-edge research, and real-world implementation. With over two decades of experience in sports engineering, I have applied my expertise in design, innovation, and product development, to the digital healthcare sector, bringing my perspectives to the challenges of integrating digital data into routine clinical practices.
From Sports Engineering to Digital Health
My background in sports engineering has given me a strong foundation in human-centred design, data analytics, and product innovation. Working extensively on performance enhancement, injury prevention, and the development of wearable technologies for athletes, these experiences have provided valuable insights into how technology can be used to monitor, analyse, and improve physical performance.
Translating these skills into digital health, however, has seen a steep learning curve and required a lot of adaption. Healthcare operates under different regulations and frameworks, poses distinct challenges in data privacy and security, and requires deep collaboration with healthcare professionals, patients and public, and researchers. It’s been critical to familiarise myself with NHS data structures, clinical workflows, and the broader policy landscape governing healthcare innovation. Despite these challenges, my expertise in innovation management, problem-solving, and user-centred design, has been directly applicable in this exciting domain.
Designing the Innovation Pipeline: A structured approach to Digital Health Advance
One of the key achievements since taking on this role has been designing and implementing our Innovation Pipeline funding call alongside my co-investigators, Professor Chris McDermott, Professor Richard Clayton, and Professor Steve Haake. This pilot funding scheme was designed to support and empower digital health innovators in developing and scaling solutions that address real healthcare challenges. Recognising the need for a structured approach to innovation, the pipeline provided targeted support to teams working on projects that leverage digital healthcare data to improve healthcare decision-making.
Through funding, mentorship, and training, the Innovation Pipeline helps innovators navigate the complexities of developing scalable, data-driven digital healthcare solutions. This has only been possible by working closely with my Hub colleagues in training, patient and public involvement, and health care data. By creating a clear pathway from concept to implementation, the Innovation Pipeline fosters sustainable and impactful digital health innovations that have the potential to, one day, be embedded within the healthcare system.
Harnessing Healthcare Data for Better Patient Outcomes
One of the most exciting opportunities from using the Innovation Pipeline in the digital health sector is integrating routine healthcare data with smartphone and wearable device data. This approach has the potential to improve patient care by providing clinicians with a more comprehensive picture of an individual’s health. Wearable devices can track real-time physiological data such as heart rate and activity levels, which, when combined with electronic health records (EHRs), can support early intervention, personalised treatment plans, and a more efficient, data-driven, healthcare delivery.
The South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has identified several unmet needs within the region’s healthcare system, including the chronic disease management, early detection of health risks, and improved patient self-management. By focusing on innovations that directly address these needs, future iterations of the Innovation Pipeline will ensure that digital health solutions are not only technologically feasible but also clinically relevant and practically implementable.
Future Directions for the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub
For the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub to achieve long-term success and impact, we need to refine our focus to developing innovations that link routine healthcare data with smartphone and wearables data. This requires continued collaboration between researchers, healthcare professionals, and technology developers, to ensure that new solutions align with clinical priorities and can be integrated seamlessly into existing healthcare infrastructures.
Leading this initiative has shown me the value of cross-disciplinary expertise in driving digital health innovation. Applying principles of design and engineering to healthcare challenges has already had an impact, and as the Innovation Pipeline develops further, the hub will play a crucial role in supporting the next generation of digital health innovators.
In the coming years, ensuring that digital health technologies are user-centred, clinically effective, and scalable will be essential. By maintaining a clear focus on addressing the specific needs of the South Yorkshire ICB, we can contribute to a more efficient and responsive healthcare system, ultimately improving patient outcomes across the region.