Abstract
New technologies, services, and products can help people live healthier lives, but innovators often struggle to get their solutions in the hands of people, their families, and the systems that help to care for them. Technologies exist to help healthcare institutions, individuals, and caregivers to manage health and well-being, but the layers of jurisdiction combined with silos across types and levels of care settings are complex for innovators to negotiate. Innovations that are developed without an understanding of, or partnership with, the health system can miss out on access to patient groups, clinicians, expert advice, or real-world settings to pilot their technology and make a significant health impact. Existing policies and regulation were introduced in response to a need to protect the public interest, but these were solutions to problems of the past. Times and technologies change, thereby rendering some policies and regulations outdated. This can pose a significant challenge to innovations. Innovators need to recognize and understand health systems and the accompanying sets of policies and regulations in order to facilitate the adoption process. This chapter outlines policies and regulations that complicate the process of bringing a health innovation to market in Canada; these issues are also relevant to other healthcare contexts.
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MacNeil, M., Juzwishin, D., Stolee, P. (2021). Navigating Policy, Regulatory, and Health System Landscapes. In: Sixsmith, A., Sixsmith, J., Mihailidis, A., Fang, M.L. (eds) Knowledge, Innovation, and Impact: A Guide for the Engaged Health Researcher. International Perspectives on Social Policy, Administration, and Practice. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34390-3_41
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