Product development process for a new healthcare service in the Industry 4.0 context: an action research approach

Abstract

Precision Medicine (PM) is a personalised approach that uses genetic, environmental, and lifestyle information to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease more effectively. This study aims to explore how Industry 4.0 technologies can enable the development of a new healthcare product, specifically a new PM service. Action Research has been used to identify the needs and orient the design and development of a technological platform that enables PM to be applied in healthcare institutions. This methodology can also act as a guide for advancing research and making the service a regular clinical practice. This research furthers understanding of how I4.0 technologies enable the generation of specific capabilities and their use to create other innovative healthcare products, in general, and PM products, in particular. Study findings offer practical and governmental implications and can serve as the basis for digital platform design and development to facilitate PM practices in healthcare institutions.