Innovation Enhancement through Design Thinking Experiments: Implementing International Collaboration for Digital Health Entrepreneurs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2026.1758Keywords:
Digital Health Entrepreneurship, Design Thinking Experiments, Participatory Action Research, Innovation Enhancement, International CollaborationAbstract
Although the healthcare sector has adapted to certain aspects of digitalisation, most digital health research primarily focuses on health informatics, with a limited emphasis on entrepreneurial collaboration for innovation across sectors and countries. This paper aims to explore the potential for enhancing innovation in healthcare by examining the collaboration between entrepreneurs from the healthcare and technology sectors. This study proposes a pilot consortium model as a pathway for addressing persistent challenges such as resource inefficiencies, access disparities, and health workforce shortages while also connecting entrepreneurs from three different geographical contexts. Participatory action research has been employed in conjunction with a design thinking approach to co-design and implement a pilot intervention involving technology and health entrepreneurs in Ireland, the USA, and Pakistan. This study contributes to health entrepreneurship innovation in two ways: first, by introducing a novel method of utilising unique design thinking experiments to enhance innovation, and second, by proposing a multi-layered international health entrepreneurship model.
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