Enhancing diagnostic innovation by leveraging the co-creation approach

Abstract

Digital innovation in precision diagnostics requires addressing complex challenges, such as implementation, adoption, equity, and sustainability. This study introduces a co-creation framework that leverages the pre-competitive space to drive collaborative innovation in personalized diagnostics. Over 5 years, a multidisciplinary community of stakeholders from computational pathology, oncology, genetics, digital medicine, and industry engaged in design-thinking workshops to identify unmet medical needs and co-develop solutions. These efforts led to 15 pilot projects, with 7 successfully implemented, including an automated lab system enhancing workflow efficiency. The co-creation approach fostered strategic alignment, community building, and integration of diverse perspectives, resulting in tangible outputs (datasets, publications, and resources) and intangible benefits (networking, market insight). This framework demonstrates how collaborative ecosystems accelerate diagnostic innovations and offer a scalable model for advancing personalized healthcare. Co-creation addresses interdisciplinary silos, promotes patient-centered solutions, and adapts to evolving regulatory landscapes, making it a catalyst for impactful healthcare transformation.