Innovating for Underserved
Communities Using Biodesign

Overview

Underserved communities disproportionately face higher healthcare affordability and logistics challenges, which severely limit access to timely, high-quality care and can result in poor health outcomes. Delays in seeking care, greater emergency room utilization, and higher rates of advanced chronic disease exacerbate the health challenges experienced by these groups.

By learning and applying the Biodesign process for need-driven health technology innovation, students in this course will learn a proven and practical approach for deeply understanding and effectively addressing some of the most pressing issues facing traditionally underserved communities. Working in interdisciplinary teams, students explore real-world unmet needs sourced from community-based partners through secondary research and firsthand interactions with patients and other healthcare stakeholders. Using what has been learned about the patient experience and the social determinants that affect it, they will be equipped to design and develop innovative solutions with the potential to meaningfully expand healthcare access and improve health outcomes.

Our instructors and guest speakers are inspiring innovators, industry experts, founders, investors, and leaders in technology and health. Mentors from community based organizations CBOs and industry support class teams to deeply understand unmet needs and identify viable solutions.