The ‘IPPOSI Patient Dragon’s Den’ initiative is an example of matchmaking patients with opportunities to get more ‘involved’ in health research and innovation. Since 2019, IPPOSI has been partnering with the University of Limerick-led, and HSE-funded, MSc on Digital Health Transformation to provide an interactive learning environment which partners patients with students.
Following a format similar to that of the popular television show, “Dragon’s Den”, the students go head-to-head with a panel of ‘patient dragons’ to ‘pitch’ their health research or innovation project concept. The students present their projects – first via a pre-recorded video presentation, and later, during ‘in-person pitch’. The ‘dragons’ provide the students with practical, on-the-spot advice and suggestions from the perspective of a patient or carer giver, focusing on the potential (direct and/or indirect) benefits of the project concept for Irish patients. The Dragons can input into the project scope, risks, design, and impact, and the students can use this feedback to improve their project concept, thereby adding to the quality of project design and implementation in the future.
The ’Dragon’s Den’ initiative has been run twice, in 2020 and 2021. Students participating in the Den earn two credits. Projects developed as part of this course are considered for full implementation by the health service (HSE). Some of the projects also incorporate opportunities for members of the public and patients to become involved in the implementation, and these are advertised through the IPPOSI matchmaking process.
A patient Dragon said of the experience “Thank you for all the work in getting such an amazing opportunity for patients to be involved in. It was an amazing few days to see how the students have found major pain points in systems and come up with so many innovative solutions to correct them. I am really impressed with the work they have done and the dedication during this Covid time.”
More details on the Patient Dragon’s Den initiative and videos from the three 2021 ‘winning projects’ from the 2021 displayed the videos on the IPPOSI website: https://www.ipposi.ie/our-work/education/patient-dragons-den/
IPPOSI activity encourages remuneration of patients for their involvement by recommending hosts refer to the NIHR (previously INVOLVE UK) guidance on renumeration https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/payment-guidance-for-researchers-and-professionals/27392.
For more information on the IPPOSI matchmaking or the Dragons Den Initiative please contact info@ipposi.ie
