The design and deployment of new healthcare technology requires a careful balance between innovation and patient safety. While some companies rush to market, those generally successful take a more measured, deliberate, and strategic approach. Dr. Jon Belsher holds a number of unique insights on this topic as both a physician and healthcare innovation expert, breaking down the complex journey into three essential stages. His practical framework has helped CEOs and founders navigate the challenges of building products and solutions that not only work but get widely adopted in real-world healthcare settings.
Getting the Blueprint Right
Before building a single prototype, healthcare founders must ensure their solutions align with the real-world workflows of physicians, nurses, and clinical staff. “CEOs and founders must focus on solutions that directly address pain points in patient care, operations, or administrative workflows,” Dr. Jon states. He’s seen many good ideas falter, if not fail, because they didn’t fully contemplate the realities of today’s healthcare setting. This early planning stage comes with its own set of traps or pitfalls. Dr. Jon points out one common mistake: “An idea may seem logical, intuitive, and purposeful on the surface – or even on the back of a napkin – but it might not align with existing workflows, strategy, or mindsets.” For instance, today’s healthcare staff is already stretched thin. They won’t easily adopt, or be receptive to, new tools unless it makes their jobs easier. That’s why Dr. Jon recommends including clinicians early on and testing ideas in real-life settings before significant time, effort, and cost is placed into development.
According to Dr. Jon, these are three essential elements for healthcare product success: 
Addressing Real Clinical Needs
When developing healthcare solutions, Dr. Jon emphasizes focusing on critical pain points rather than just innovative technology for the sake of innovative technology itself. “The best products and solutions seamlessly integrate into existing systems, improving efficiency, and enhancing patient care and outcomes,” he explains. Founders must engage clinicians early, test in real-world settings, and ensure their product merits payment or reimbursement. As Dr. Jon puts it simply, “Necessity outweighs desire when it comes to building a successful product or solution.”
Strategic Speed in Development
Healthcare products can’t follow the typical tech playbook. “Companies outside of healthcare often take a ‘move fast and break things’ approach,” Dr. Jon notes. Instead, he advocates for what he calls “strategic speed” – moving quickly while in parallel staying aligned with compliance and market requirements. This means building cross-functional teams early on and planning FDA pathways before development even begins.
Winning the Last Mile
Dr. Jon has trademarked the term “last mile”® to describe perhaps the biggest challenge: adoption. “Hospital systems, physicians, and patients need a compelling reason to change – they won’t act on impulse or whim,” he explains. Success requires building relationships with early adopters, creating clear reimbursement strategies, and investing in education and training. As Dr. Jon wryly observes, “A great product with poor adoption strategy will fail, while a ‘good-enough’ product with strong champions can succeed.”
Laying a Solid Foundation
Unlike consumer apps or general tech products, healthcare solutions require extra careful attention and scrutiny. “Companies outside of healthcare can develop a ‘move fast and break things’ approach,” Dr. Jon explains. “But in healthcare, people’s lives are at stake.” Instead of rushing to market, healthcare founders need to balance speed with safety. Dr. Jon emphasizes the importance of beginning regulatory approval strategy early, clinical validation, and determining how the solution or product will be reimbursed or paid for. These pieces form what he calls the foundation – get them wrong, and the whole project can crumble.
Healthcare has moved beyond “trust me, it works” to requiring clear and indisputable evidence today. “Healthcare is more data-driven today than ever before,” Dr. Jon notes. “Historically, it relied more on anecdotes. What we now call evidence-based medicine (EBM) simply wasn’t there to support clear, objective decision-making in the past.” This means new healthcare technology requires real and rigorous testing, and not just hopes or whims. As Dr. Jon puts it: “It may sound right, feel right, and look right – and we may be very excited about it – but ultimately, the proof is in the results. Good ideas need data to back them up.”
Overcoming Adoption Barriers
Here’s where many healthcare products stumble – getting doctors and hospitals to actually use them. “Healthcare is a conservative industry,” Dr. Jon says. “Key stakeholders – providers, payers, patients – need a strong, compelling reason to change their behavior.” Dr. Jon shares a surprising insight: “The toughest challenge isn’t building the technology – it’s securing buy-in to ensure it gets used.” Healthcare staff won’t change their routines just because something is new – they need proof it’s worth the effort to switch or implement.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Jon sees huge potential in healthcare technology. When done right, new tools can help burned-out doctors, improve patient care, and allows hospitals to run more efficiently and effectively. But founders need to follow the proper steps: “Early champions, real-world testing and clinical validation, regulatory approval, and reimbursement.” As Dr. Jon wraps up: “These areas are easy to overlook or skim over. And that’s where founders get tripped up and ultimately don’t succeed.” By taking time to build things right in a methodical fashion, healthcare founders can create lasting positive change in an industry that touches everyone.
To connect with Dr. Jon Belsher and learn more about healthcare technology development, find him on LinkedIn. You can also visit his company, Visura.
