April 20199 Today's innovation in policies, legislation and regulatory frameworks play a more important role than actual technological development, as far as the delivery of effective solutions to the citizen and to the patient is concerned.This type of innovation should flow in parallel to research and development, and it is all about collaboration between different stakeholders, and creativity in developing new policies and business models beyond well-established practices. There are several examples of fascinating medical innovations that may be ready to be implemented from the technological development point of view but require changes in policies, or at least a temporary derogation to existing policies.Many examples can be mentioned, starting from the list of global healthcare trends I mentioned earlier.Personalised medicine; the ability to use a patient's genetic information to predict the effectiveness of the drug to be prescribed, tailored to their specific genomic profile is more effective, but has an unavoidable consequence - it reduces the market for the drug producer. The current system of rules that regulates clinical research and related investments is a deterrent to the introduction and marketing of custom-based patient solutions.Access to patient data is another pertinent example. Anonymised patient data are the source that allows artificial intelligence algorithms to identify patterns important to improve medical practices. Surveys show that the public would be happy to make their own personal data available in aggregate form for research purposes. Despite this, in many jurisdictions, there is a very prohibitive legislative system that makes it impossible to process digital patient data.Another evidence is the emergence of lifestyle-related illnesses (NCDs, non-transmissible diseases), today far more frequent than those transmissible (caused by infections). Cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases (such as diabetes) and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's) and certain cancers are the main causes of hospitalisation today. Their causes are attributed not to pathogens, but to specific habits such as diet, lack of exercise, substance abuse, and stress. Technologies are ready to address this issue, and small investments in prevention may generate big savings and positive improvement of the quality of life. But the existing reactive model of healthcare systems (sick-care) is a deterrent to implementation.In older people's homes, a lower intensity but frequent care is what is needed, and it may be delivered through telemedicine, wearables, tele-monitoring solutions at a fraction of the hospitalisation cost. The technology exists, but its implementation is challenging, and policies, practices and regulations are the road block.Even the way the procurement process in hospitals and government health departments are structured, through tenders open to competing suppliers, is a deterrent to innovation introduction. In fact, since tender is geared towards products already present on the market, the most innovative products may not yet be known to the procurement officers. Derogations to this process may be very effective in introducing innovation in a faster and wider way.In conclusion, a government-led multi stakeholder approach to healthcare innovation is beneficial not only for the patients, but also for economic development.Med tech investors will be keener to develop their projects in those areas where governments are more agile and ready to experience innovative delivery models, in derogation to established rules. Technology will more easily develop and deliver benefit to patients, where governments learn how to lead multi-stakeholder partnerships, involving med-tech companies, regulators, researchers, healthcare providers, general practitioners and health insurance companies. IT IS ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, AND CREATIVITY IN DEVELOPING NEW POLICIES AND BUSINESS MODELS BEYOND WELL-ESTABLISHED PRACTICES
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