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HI-NL Track
Health innovations always start with a great idea. But getting from that idea to a meaningful product or service that improves patient care can be a long and bumpy road.
To address the challenge, Health Innovation Netherlands (HI-NL) partners have set up HI-NL to support innovators in getting innovations to patients faster. The HI-NL Track is designed to give innovators early insights into the path to market and the needs of all stakeholders along the way. In particular, HI-NL supports innovators in the medical technology space, including eHealth, AI and diagnostics.
The HI-NL Track consists of three steps.
Step 1
During the first step, desk research is performed to provide an independent review of the context of your innovation. For example, the existing care pathways your innovation will fit into or disrupt, the stakeholders who will make a decision on your innovation, or the relevant reimbursement structures.
At this stage we also help you specify the questions that you’ll need to get answered and, together with you, we identify which stakeholders can best provide answers. These stakeholders will be invited to take part in the Round Table session discussion. Stakeholder experts will include, for example, patients, medical specialists, insurers, health authorities, regulators, hospital board representatives, CE experts, and health technology assessment (HTA) specialists, depending on the needs of your particular product or service.
Step 2
The second step is the Round Table session. This is a 3-hour meeting in which your critical stakeholders provide their perspective on what is needed to evaluate and successfully implement your innovation. Topics discussed include claims and target population, current care paths and care path changes needed to accommodate your innovation, evidence required by different stakeholders, and routes to reimbursement. Participants’ perspectives and recommendations for your innovation are discussed, and collective guidance is provided on how to move a valuable innovation forward successfully.
Step 3
In the final step, you will receive a written Innovation Guide that summarizes the outcomes of the desk research and the Round Table discussion. It provides you with a single, comprehensive document that outlines the collective recommendations of your critical stakeholders, including clear next steps to guide further development of your innovation. To make sure the content of the Innovation Guide and the guidance given by the stakeholders is clear, we organize a close-out call to discuss any final questions you may have.
Every entrepreneur should consider a HI-NL Track. As an innovator, you always talk to as many key players in your field as possible. Without such conversations, you don't know whether your product actually solves an observed problem. The HI-NL Track facilitates this through a well-prepared session. All parties sit around the table at the same time and provide completely independent advice. I can only recommend others to do this as well.
Egbert Smit, CEO MLA Diagnostics
When we can help:
The primary focus of HI-NL is on innovative medical devices, including (but not limited to) diagnostics, robotics, apps, and eHealth. HI-NL provides tailored advice both before and after CE marking.
How to get started:
- Please fill in the intake form to provide HI-NL with information about your product, its claims, and the main question(s) you have for HI-NL. We may invite you for a short call to make sure we fully understand your needs.
- HI-NL evaluates the information and checks whether it can help address your question(s).
- The formalities are arranged. Please note that HI-NL is a not-for-profit organization and the cost of the HI-NL Track is borne by the innovator. You will receive a quote for signature before we kick off the process. For information on subsidy options to cover the HI-NL Track costs, click here.
- A team of experienced methodologists from, for example, a University Medical Centre (the ‘case team’) is selected and introduced to you. The case team will be your sparring partner throughout the process so that the Round Table discussion provides you with the information you need.
The detailed process (once a quote has been signed) is shown in the timeline figure below.
The HI-NL Track is targeted at innovators, but packages are also available for investors, venture capitalists, research institutes, and other funding agencies. Please contact us if you would like to know more about HI-NL trejectory packages: info@healthinnovation.nl.
Subsidy programs
There are a number of subsidy programs via which the costs associated with the HI-NL Track can be (partially) covered. Please visit our subsidy programs page for more information.