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Uncovering Hidden Healthcare Breakthroughs with Dr. Kristian Olson of Mass General Brigham

Uncovering Hidden Healthcare Breakthroughs with Dr. Kristian Olson of Mass General Brigham

Kristian R. Olson, MD, MPH

Vice President of Design
Impact, Mass General
Brigham; Vice President,
MGB Springboard Studio

Kristian Olson is the Director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) based at Mass General Global Health and is also a member of the Core Educator Faculty in the Department of Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He is both a Pediatrician and Internist and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and has worked in Thailand, Darfur, Indonesia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and India. He is a serial innovator and one of the architects of the CAMTech Innovation platform that champions “co-creation” and open innovation.

He completed an undergraduate degree in biology at the University of British Columbia, medical school at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and his residency training in the Harvard Combined Medicine and Pediatrics Program. He trained in the Masters of Public Health program at the University of Sydney as a US Fulbright Scholar and completed a Diploma in Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2003 as MGH’s first Durant Fellow in Refugee Medicine.

In 2009, he was named to the Scientific American Top 10 Honor Roll as an individual who has demonstrated leadership in applying new technologies and biomedical discoveries for the benefit of humanity.

Uncovering Hidden Healthcare Breakthroughs with Dr. Kristian Olson of Mass General Brigham

In this episode of Bright Spots in Healthcare, we explore how human-centered design can uncover breakthrough solutions already hiding in plain sight. Dr. Kristian Olson, Vice President of Design Impact at Mass General Brigham and leader of the Springboard Studio, shares how slowing down to understand problems leads to faster, more effective innovation.

The conversation dives into:

  • The four pillars of effective healthcare innovation: design research, prototyping, supported implementation, and impact measurement
  • How “stupidest ideas” exercises and question storming unlock creative solutions in frontline staff meetings
  • Real results from Salem Hospital’s mobility speedometer (300% increase in patient movement, reduced length of stay)
  • The COVID testing booth prototype that saved $1 million per year while reducing gown usage by 97%
  • Developing low-cost neonatal resuscitation devices in Uganda and India that improved ventilation skills
  • Why frontline staff must be co-creators, not just implementers, of healthcare solutions

This discussion offers practical frameworks for health plans, hospitals, and healthcare leaders looking to harness their teams’ ingenuity and drive measurable improvement.

Resources & References

Kristian R. Olson, MD, MPH

Vice President of Design
Impact, Mass General
Brigham; Vice President,
MGB Springboard Studio

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