CIMIT blog

The Innovators Advice - Engineering students hear from Alex Slocum

We called professor Alex Slocum of MIT the other day and caught him in his workshop building and inventing his way though a snowy day. We asked him about the CIMIT Prize for Primary Care and what suggestions he has for any innovator or inventor working to create disruptive innovations in systems and devices.

Alex is the guru of innovation and invention and in this brief podcast he gives tremendous insight:

    1. Fiddle around, be playful

    2. Have real personal passion and excitement for the area of interest

    3. Never stop asking why

    4. Careful thinking and careful research (be bimodal and objective!)

    5. Think like the user (In the case of the CIMIT Prize think like a physician, clinician or patient - Not like an engineer or inventor)

And check out the podcast here...

Letters of intent from undergraduate and graduate students in engineering for the $150,000 $100,000 and $50,000 CIMIT Prize for Innovations in Primary Care are due January 15, 2009. So in the fine words of Dr. Ron Dixon, INNOVATE NOW!

Check out the CIMIT Prize Facebook page today! Hurry!

TRIZ: Unleashing Self-Organization

On December 2nd we had the unique opportunity to practice Liberating Structures and below is a video example of one such tool called TRIZ. We were moderated that day by Keith McCandless and our subject was "The Primary Care Revolution." The important thing to remember is that TRIZ is open to any problem, issue or application. The video runs 10 minutes and is an outline of how to practice effective TRIZ. It goes along with the outline below.

100 Global Health Blogs That Will Open Your Eyes

By Christina Laun

People around the world are concerned with providing healthy living conditions, medications, preventive care and more for their citizens so they can live long, healthy lives. These global health care blogs reflect the concerns from people of all countries and walks of life and can help you learn about health care issues that affect people young and old. Check these out to learn about technology, drugs, food safety and much more.

100 Global Health Blogs That Will Open Your Eyes

Oh and by the way... CIMIT blog is #79.

$150,000 Prize for Innovations in Primary Healthcare

These are times where we all do more with less. This is accomplished in part through the reform of our systems and practices. One such area that is quickly coming closer to revolution is the American system of healthcare. It would be a tremendous achievement to align our current healthcare system with the more "universal" healthcare coverage envisioned by many. One way to bridge the gap and hasten realignment is through technology innovations. These innovations will likely come from within and foster a more adaptable process focused on patient involvement and participation matched with health and prevention solutions to limit costs while improving care.

Healthcare in the United States has the potential to be a driving influence long term in our global competitiveness and a staple of our economic engine. It must be a collaborative science not only among industry, academia and the government, but also individuals on a personal level driven by patients and patient advocates.

CIMIT has announced a dynamic new engineering prize competition: the CIMIT Prize for Primary Healthcare. It calls for technologic innovations with the greatest potential to support and catalyze improved delivery of healthcare at the frontlines of medicine.  The top three entrants will receive $150,000, $100,000 and $50,000, respectively, to help advance their winning clinically-relevant, primary care solutions.

This national competition is open to graduate and undergraduate engineering students from accredited engineering programs. CIMIT's goal in offering these major awards is to encourage engineering students to develop technological innovations that have great potential to enhance delivery of primary healthcare.

Even if you are not a student or applicable to this prize it is crucial that we earn your vested interest and adoption. You are a patient and we are all patients, even the physicians. We are all effected by the coming changes to healthcare and primary care. If you become involved now in the changes you want to make no one will be able to take it away. No one will be able to determine a healthcare pathway that is not for you.

We are now accepting letters of intent. Please see our website here and become a fan of our facebook page where you can interact with others and get more information on the competition.