Gathering with the Innovation Learning Network in Grand Rapids

I am here in Grand Rapids Michigan, for the in person meeting of the Innovation Learning Network , which:

The Innovation Learning Network (ILN) brings together the most innovative healthcare organizations in the country to share the joys and pains of innovation. Its purpose is to foster discussion on the methods and application of innovation/diffusion, ignite the transfer of ideas, and provide opportunities for inter-organizational collaboration.

The list of organizational members is on the home page. This meeting is being held at / hosted by Steelcase , the office furniture manufacturer. I was excited to come to this one (and I was not disappointed), because I have heard about Steelcase’s work in innovation, and when I went to go visit the Institute for Family Health in October, 2007 Neil Calman, MD, told me then about the Nurture product family. I’ve been intrigued since then….

The team managing the ILN have been very open and receptive to new communication modalities (of course), so have encouraged live tweeting of the event, which you can access here. As was done at the Health 2.0 Conference, they projected the live tweets in the room on the wall. This feature will probably be embedded in a lot of conferences to come.

On day 1, we went through a gallery of innovations prepared by members of the network, and got a brief introduction to the Nurture line and the philosophy behind it.

I was especially delighted to sit in the prototype “consultation room,” complete with electronic health record mockup, that demonstrates that through research, the Nurture team, in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, found that optimal placement was with the patient and the physician sitting next to each other. The philosophy is reflected throughout other parts of the line (discussion tomorrow).

The other interesting thing that has been done is a randomized control trial, comparing ambulatory consultations performed in a room like this (pictured below), to a traditionally situated room, with a corner desk and computer in between doctor and patient. Finally, evidence based design in the era of Health Information Technology…..

Ted Eytan, MD