The People behind Healthcare Innovation: Interview with Dominik Pf?rringer, Digital Health Researcher and Physician at University Hospital Munich

As part of my work, I have the privilege to speak with many inspiring innovators. However, the business community usually focuses more on companies, pitches and valuations, and less on the innovator. I think it would be interesting to learn a bit more about the people behind healthcare innovation. Therefore, I'm going to share some of my conversations with innovators in condensed form: 7 questions, 7 answers about their experience, their opinions and learnings.

The fifth conversation is with Dominik Pf?rringer, a digital health researcher and orthopedic and trauma surgeon from University Hospital Munich.

Tobias: What’s your story, how did you become an innovator in healthcare?

Dominik: I had the privilege of growing up and attending high school in California; ever since, I have been inspired by entrepreneurship and the “just do it” approach. However, what really awoke my fascination and passion for innovation in healthcare was my MBA at INSEAD (the graduate business school) in Fontainebleau and Singapore. The unique combination of helping people and bringing modern technologies into use fascinated me. I recognized at an early stage that Munich offers an ideal ecosystem for combining these passions; two excellent universities, the unique UnternehmerTUM, two outstanding university hospitals, a magnitude of technology and healthcare companies. Collectively, these compose the foundations for “Digital Healthcare Entrepreneurship”. I am truly fascinated by incubation and acceleration of innovative digital healthcare ideas.

Tobias: How do you see hospital digitization play out in the next 10 years?

Dominik: Within the next ten years, I see the potential for a threefold development:

Big Data, AI and deep learning will increasingly support the decision making and ability of physicians to utilize large amounts of information relevant to their diagnostic and treatment decisions.

Robots will take over physical and repetitive tasks allowing physicians and caregivers to focus on their core roles and responsibilities: the patient’s well-being and convalescence.

Predictive and preventative medicine will play an increasingly important role; treating diseases before they arise will allow medicines to leapfrog ahead of maladies.

Tobias: What are the biggest opportunities and obstacles you see for innovation in the healthcare environment?

Dominik: One of the biggest potentials I recognize is the reduction of redundant, repetitive, and non-medical-related work such as documentation and other such bureaucratic tasks. In addition, the facilitation of data exchange will play an important role in the highway to success; the need to manually write down medications and preconditions several times per hour (sometimes repeatedly for just one patient) is a source of error, frustration, and mistreatment.

Regarding obstacles, the latest novel of the data protection law (DSGVO, as well as data storage regulations) in Germany set a high barrier to entry and transfer of data for medical use. However, smart and driven entrepreneurs will be able to make use of such laws and regulations and overcome any initial hurdles for the benefit of patients, doctors, and payers. While data protection be of benefit to the healthy population, the development of diseases or other health problems often means people are willing to both share their medical data and make use of data shared by others for the benefit of all patients. The current usability of molecular and genomic data represents the tip of the iceberg in terms of future Big Data potential. 

Tobias: When you look at the health system as a whole—providers, payors, regulators, doctors, patients—where do you see the most and least openness to innovation? 

Dominik: To judge openness for innovation by working role, age, gender, or any other category is certainly wrong. I have experienced people at the age of 80+ years driven to change the world, to undertake endeavors and co-develop the future. In my opinion, what matters most is intelligent curiosity in combination with foresight. Only those who are open and willing to find new pathways will have the chance for future success.   

I perceive anyone who sees more obstacles and downsides than upsides as a technology pessimist. However, as a young, enthusiastic and dynamic person, I constantly try my very best to help each and every individual understand the benefits of digital health.

Tobias: What’s the single most important thing policymakers could do to enable digital transformation of their health systems?

Dominik: Policy, the single most important – this phrasing raises the question to a level that exceeds my judgement. I truly believe that a “regulatory sandbox” – a playground with only very limited regulations and laws under very close observation – can help us to catalyze our thinking, transcending limits and the creative destruction of current thought patterns. In general, we should honor innovation more and worry less about finding new problems and obstacles. What does it help to worry? If you can change something, change it; if you cannot, worrying will not help. So, let us not worry, but get things done. Richard Branson said it clearly: It is just two letters which separate successful people from the less successful: “DO”. In addition, we need to start adopting best-practice solutions, learning from the best in class and fostering both knowledge exchange and transfer. For me personally, my best and most inspiring results came from what I had learned from the best or what I was able to transfer across borders (both nationally and mentally).

Tobias: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were starting out as an innovator and entrepreneur? 

Dominik: Knowing things in advance is something humanity has always dreamed of. However, partial anticipation of the future – basically, having more know-how without the time consumption and (often) accompanying burdens, failures and necessary patience – does not, in my opinion, exist. It is a game of give and take, of trial and error, that makes us successful. It is often the not-so-bright moments that shape both individuals and businesses. As Winston Churchill said: “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm”. Interestingly, in both medicine and business, it is mainly the daredevils, the adventurous fighters at the frontiers of innovation, who drive progress. I wish I had opened my eyes to innovation even earlier, thinking across borders and continuously fostering knowledge exchange in all possible directions.  

Tobias: What should innovators bear in mind? What is your recommendation?

Dominik: Never, ever, ever give up. Believe in your idea, drive it further with passion and a creative approach without ever allowing minor obstacles to distract you from your path. Success does not always come easy but luck values those who work hard. Make sure to fully comprehend the market and to put together the best possible team. Never cease to challenge yourself and your team, never stop developing your idea and business approach. It is like rowing a boat upstream; if you stop, you go backwards. Try to find yourself a benevolent but serious and successful senior mentor. Keep pushing harder every day.

For more information, see Dominik Pf?rringer and www.digitalhealthcare.com