Locating Innovative Healthcare Products

It’s a national election year, and among the topics we hear bantered about is of course the state of healthcare in the U.S. It has become commonplace to hear references to our having “the best healthcare in the world”, but anyone who takes the time to actually look at the data knows that this is not the case. Statistically, the only factor in which the U.S. leads the world in the healthcare is in the fact that each of us pays more for our medical care than in any other nation. In reality, in other areas including efficiency, equity, and outcomes, the U.S. continues to consistently rank as the worst among industrialized countries.

As a part of this syndrome, despite widespread and rapid advances in technology, as well as the enormous amounts of spending on healthcare and medicine (approximately one-sixth of the gross domestic product), substantial innovation in the field remains extremely difficult to accomplish. The reasons for this stagnation lie deep in the nature of the governmental and corporate approaches to healthcare, and are really beyond the scope of this article. However, even with the cards stacked against them, some companies are succeeding in producing innovative products for healthcare, though locating those may not be all that easy to accomplish.

If you’re looking for companies producing innovative products, a good place to start might be the Fierce Innovation Awards. With its mission of recognizing game-changing healthcare technology and solutions, these awards attempt to identify the innovations that best address the challenges and pain-points currently faced by healthcare companies.

More information on cutting-edge healthcare products can be found through Fast Company, a publication, which focuses on the most unique and creative individuals and businesses who are changing today’s marketplace. Their annual list of Most Innovative Companies, broken down by sector, includes ten companies whose advances with healthcare products or services are already beginning to change the industry.

Another collection worth looking into is Forbes list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. This list is also categorized by industry, and includes, among others, Biotechnology, Healthcare Services, Technology, Supplies, and Equipment. Last year’s list included makers of orthopedics and instruments for the hearing impaired.

Speaking of innovative products for people with impairments, how about our own Pants Up Easy products (you didn’t think we would miss an opportunity to plug our products, did you?). These devices provide a unique lifting approach to helping people who are confined to a wheelchair to deal with the challenge of getting dressed without assistance. The Pants Up Easy is an ideal solution for paraplegics, people with spinal cord injuries, and disabled veterans. We’re registered with SAM, so our products are also ready to be easily purchased through the Federal Procurement System.