Regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, or other factors, the healthcare system is vital to everyone. Research [1] has shown that when assessing the need for change in the Croatian healthcare system, 62.1% of respondents believe that absolute changes or significant improvements are necessary. Few would disagree that the Croatian healthcare system has substantial potential for progress. However, the question remains: how can we harness this potential and make the healthcare system better for all users?
An entrepreneurial approach based on innovation plays a key role in utilizing the potential of the healthcare system and achieving a better future. While many believe entrepreneurship is characteristic of sectors like IT, finance, or retail, it is precisely entrepreneurship that holds the incredible ability to transform the healthcare system. Furthermore, another common myth is that healthcare innovations are reserved for “big players,” such as pharmaceutical or technological giants. However, today, it is startups that are creating innovations and driving change. While traditional companies sometimes struggle to innovate, startups enter the market with fresh ideas, the courage, and the agility needed to make real changes happen. Their approach, adaptability, and speed allow them to effectively solve healthcare challenges and improve patient outcomes.
Healthcare entrepreneurs are drivers of innovation, contributing to better accessibility of healthcare and finding new and improved ways of informing, preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases. Additionally, innovations create space for more efficient processes and optimal utilization of healthcare resources. Therefore, it is extremely important to encourage collaboration between healthcare experts and entrepreneurs to harness their full potential and ensure that professional knowledge and ideas find their way to the market and, ultimately, to the users. The combination of healthcare expertise and entrepreneurial knowledge undoubtedly brings innovation and progress to the healthcare system.
NetHub has recognized the importance of collaboration between researchers and the business sector, creating specific entrepreneurial support programs aimed at building an innovation ecosystem in healthcare. One such program is NetHub Research, where researchers, in collaboration with business mentors, are dedicated to creating innovative solutions that will shape the future of healthcare.
There are numerous problems and challenges in healthcare, and some of them will soon become a thing of the past thanks to the solutions from NetHub Research teams:
- The disconnect between scientific research conclusions and the general population, which prevents the public from being informed about specific health conditions or fields.
- Overuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine.
- The complex communication path between users and healthcare providers.
- Lack of available data on the nutritional values of food across different processing methods.
- Delayed recognition of sleep disorders and their impact on the development of comorbidities.
- The struggle of researchers with complex legal and ethical regulations within the EU healthcare space.
The future of healthcare will bring simpler and better access to care. In designing that future for researchers and entrepreneurs, NetHub – the place for healthcare innovation development – is here to lead the way.
[1] Determinants of Citizens’ Attitudes and Satisfaction with the Croatian Healthcare System