In August 2020, the world-renowned Perth-based child health research organisation, Telethon Kids Institute, went to market seeking a partner to co-create their Digital Health strategy. With the world of Digital Health growing at an exponential rate, the Institute wanted to evolve to capitalise on the increased shift in funding towards all things digital and to reach its ambition of supporting happy, healthy kids.

In response to this brief, Previsior (Healthcare Strategists) and PragmaTech (Digital Strategists) formed a partnership-led shared response. Previsior’s healthcare experience and network provided access to the external sources and perspectives that would ultimately help shape the future of Digital Health for Telethon Kids. Meanwhile, PragmaTech’s extensive experience running digital projects and programs ensured that the recommendations would be practical and actionable. The work was awarded in September 2020, and we got to work.

Our project included an independent research phase, taking full advantage of Previsior’s network to gather a wide array of perspectives from inside and outside Telethon Kids. This was coupled with an industry review enabling us to plan Telethon Kids’ elevation on the Digital Health global stage. In parallel, a wide array of current best practices were considered in the area of digital design and development, to connect the dots between the present and future states.

It was essential for all work to align with Telethon Kids’ vision of “Happy Healthy Kids”. To this end, we recommended that kids - and the clinics looking after them - play a greatly elevated role in all digital projects from the outset, to ensure that the best principles of user-centred design are adopted and embraced. We also took a fresh look at models of funding, including those from the private/entrepreneurial sector, to support a drive for sustainable business models that secure the longevity of these vital initiatives.

Our final deliverable included a roadmap and detailed implementation plan to bring the strategy to life, as well as a decision rubric that can be used to evaluate and evolve all Digital Health initiatives from this point forward. We also provided a series of videos describing the strategy, to help secure understanding and buy-in across the Institute and beyond. Due to Covid-19, the entire project was managed remotely - we very much hope to meet the client in person one day!

Nick Wood, Chief Operating Officer, had this to say about the Previsior / PragmaTech partnership: “Adam and Phil bought a refreshing outlook to Digital Health at Telethon Kids, helping to forge an exciting and positive path forward. Their approach and remote engagement model was thorough, thoughtful and intelligent, and we’re delighted with our decision to progress with them - they exceeded our high expectations”.

As the world of Digital Health evolves, we’re looking forward to engaging with more partners like Telethon Kids, helping clients make the most of this exciting landscape!