TY - JOUR
T1 - The Surgery Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Program (SIEDP)
T2 - An Experiential Learning Program for Surgery Faculty to Ideate and Implement Innovations in Health care
AU - Servoss, Jonathan
AU - Chang, Connie
AU - Olson, David
AU - Ward, Kevin R.
AU - Mulholland, Michael W.
AU - Cohen, Mark S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The program was successful in educating faculty in an experiential learning format and providing a mechanism for projects to be advanced on a commercialization pathway or implemented within the department. The ideation session conducted during the program resulted in 4 department innovation projects. At the conclusion of the program, 3 of those projects: (1) Departmental Contract Research Organization (CRO), (2) Department-based Research Concierge, and the (3) Priority Patient Programs were funded and implemented. The CRO project is already generating revenue through industry contracts. In addition to the department innovation projects, 3 of the personal innovation projects with commercial viability have received additional funding and resources through programs such as the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, UM Ross School of Business Venture Accelerator, and the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Center for Accelerated Innovations. The program was also instrumental in the filing of 3 patents and the startup of 2 companies. The return on investment for providing such a program can be evaluated in a number of ways, including financial, the impact on faculty careers, and fulfillment of the department mission. With an initial investment of $60,000, the projects in the SIEDP have received more than $1 million of follow-on funding through internal and external sources. Furthermore, with faculty moving their ideas into startup companies and engaging more fully with industry partners, the level of funding is likely to increase.
Funding Information:
Funding provided by the University of Michigan Department of Surgery. Funding provided by the William-Davidson Foundation Funding provided by the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research. Funding provided by the Michigan Strategic Fund and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Funding provided by the University of Michigan Medical School.
Funding Information:
Sessions 3-7 were designed to provide hands-on workshops about core commercialization concepts to be applied to both the personal innovation projects with commercial potential and the department innovation projects. Each session offered an opportunity for teams to present progress on the development of their business case in the form of a presentation or pitch. To begin session 3, a case study featuring EXUBERA (insulin human [rDNA origin]) Inhalation Powder, which was removed from the United States market in 2007, was presented to underscore the importance of a clearly defined value proposition. 4 Most importantly, the case study was presented to identify the challenges and likelihood of failure if the technology’s core value proposition is not validated through customer discovery interviews. Following the case study, instruction was provided on conducting quality interviews by introducing techniques and demonstrating during role-play exercises. The session concluded with an opportunity for each project team to present their stakeholder map for feedback. Conducting a risk analysis as a strategy for project planning was the focus for session 4. A template was introduced to capture the planning strategy and begin the formation of a successful business presentation. The session concluded with a panel discussion on intellectual property strategies for different product categories (e.g., therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, and mobile applications or software) and an interactive debate with professionals on the advantages and disadvantages of licensing versus startup pathways to commercialization. Product development planning, slightly modified to meet the needs of both types of projects in the program, opened session 5. Additionally, the session offered each project the opportunity to conduct customer discovery interviews with critical stakeholders. The in-class interviews were offered to ensure that each project team conducted a minimum number of interviews and provide a learning opportunity for those not conducting the interview to observe and critique the technique of the interviewer. To conclude the session, the Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UMMS and the UM College of Engineering (dual department) presented opportunities and resources for clinicians and biomedical researchers to collaborate with engineering colleagues. Several guest experts from across UM delivered education on project development and additional resources as part of session 6. A professor from the UM Ross School of Business delivered a health care economics primer, underscoring the data needed for a successful life science venture. The Director of the Michigan Investigator Assistance Program from the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, UM’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Center for Translation Science Award, delivered a comprehensive look at the Investigational New Drug/Investigational Device Exemption application process and clinical trial management resources. Session 7 focused on commercialization business case development and was structured to give the program participants a perspective on potential industry partners and an update on recent regulatory changes at the FDA. To begin the session, the Vice President of Global Technology Assessment and Health Policy and the Director of Regulatory Affairs from Cook Medical joined the Medical Director of Surgical Innovations from Medtronic to discuss the oftentimes-competing factors facing corporations with respect to biomedical innovations. Immediately following, the Associate Director for Technology and Innovation from the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, provided a lecture on device regulation in the United States, including challenges related to the accelerated lifecycles for health information technology and digital innovations.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Objective: Surgeons are continually engaged in the incorporation of new technologies in their practice. In the operating room and beyond, they combine technical skill with creative problem solving to improve tools and techniques for patient care, making them natural innovators. However, despite their innovative tendencies, education on entrepreneurship and commercialization is severely lacking. Moreover, with increasing pressure to meet productivity metrics, their availability to learn the complexities of commercialization is limited. To address these challenges, we designed the Surgery Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Program (SIEDP) with the objective to advance faculty innovations, develop new departmental innovation initiatives, and improve faculty education in the area of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization. Design: The SIEDP is a first-of-its-kind experiential learning program specifically designed for busy clinical and research faculty in a major academic surgery department. Participants ideated and formed teams around health care innovations as they progressed through a 9-month curriculum of expert guest lectures and interactive workshops. A postprogram evaluation and outcome tracking method was used to evaluate attainment of educational objectives and project development milestones. Setting: The Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Participants: Eleven surgery faculty of varying academic rank and surgical subspecialties. Results: The program generated 2 faculty startup companies, 1 departmental commercial product, 3 patent disclosures, and 3 innovations that received additional funding. All participants in the program reported a significant increase in their understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship and that participation was a worthwhile faculty development activity. Conclusion: Despite the various challenges and time constraints of surgical practices, programs like SIEDP can educate surgeons and other academicians on innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization and add value to the academic mission of providing excellent education, research, and clinical care.
AB - Objective: Surgeons are continually engaged in the incorporation of new technologies in their practice. In the operating room and beyond, they combine technical skill with creative problem solving to improve tools and techniques for patient care, making them natural innovators. However, despite their innovative tendencies, education on entrepreneurship and commercialization is severely lacking. Moreover, with increasing pressure to meet productivity metrics, their availability to learn the complexities of commercialization is limited. To address these challenges, we designed the Surgery Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Program (SIEDP) with the objective to advance faculty innovations, develop new departmental innovation initiatives, and improve faculty education in the area of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization. Design: The SIEDP is a first-of-its-kind experiential learning program specifically designed for busy clinical and research faculty in a major academic surgery department. Participants ideated and formed teams around health care innovations as they progressed through a 9-month curriculum of expert guest lectures and interactive workshops. A postprogram evaluation and outcome tracking method was used to evaluate attainment of educational objectives and project development milestones. Setting: The Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Participants: Eleven surgery faculty of varying academic rank and surgical subspecialties. Results: The program generated 2 faculty startup companies, 1 departmental commercial product, 3 patent disclosures, and 3 innovations that received additional funding. All participants in the program reported a significant increase in their understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship and that participation was a worthwhile faculty development activity. Conclusion: Despite the various challenges and time constraints of surgical practices, programs like SIEDP can educate surgeons and other academicians on innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization and add value to the academic mission of providing excellent education, research, and clinical care.
KW - commercialization
KW - entrepreneurship
KW - faculty development
KW - innovation
KW - Interpersonal and Communication Skills
KW - Patient Care
KW - Systems-Based Practice
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jsurg.2017.09.017
DO - 10.1016/j.jsurg.2017.09.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 28989009
AN - SCOPUS:85030767851
SN - 1931-7204
VL - 75
SP - 935
EP - 941
JO - Journal of Surgical Education
JF - Journal of Surgical Education
IS - 4
ER -