Crafting a Healthier Tomorrow: Innovation for Ease and Wellness | Dr Tri Herdianto | TEDxITS

A Story of Two Scientists and Indonesia's Healthcare Challenges

• A story was shared about two scientists who traveled back in time to 2024 and found a destroyed world, but their time machine broke down, and they were unable to return to their original time (1m11s).
• Indonesia's healthcare system faces numerous challenges and complexities, including limited resources and vast distances between care centers, which innovators are working to address (1m26s).
• Despite the difficulties, there is always hope for collaboration, resilience, and commitment to driving progress in Indonesia's healthcare industry (2m7s).

Dr. Tri Herdianto and the Importance of Collaboration

• Dr. Tri Herdianto, an ear, nose, and throat (THT) specialist, emphasized the importance of collaboration in innovation, stating that the best innovations are those that involve many people and can solve many problems (3m6s).

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Healthcare Innovation

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people became interested in health and wellness, and there was a significant increase in awareness about health issues in Indonesia (3m44s).
• Dr. Herdianto shared his experience during the pandemic, where he had to adapt to a new normal, including wearing masks and using personal protective equipment (PPE) in his work as a THT specialist (4m38s).
• However, Dr. Herdianto noted that even with PPE, there were limitations to what could be done, especially in emergency situations such as surgeries, where the risk of infection was high (5m11s).
• Dr. Herdianto emphasized the importance of having the right equipment, such as respirators, to protect healthcare workers during surgeries, especially when dealing with contagious diseases like COVID-19 (5m48s).
• The goal of a device is to prevent droplets or viruses from entering, but existing tools were not suitable for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors due to the lack of a headlamp, making it difficult to see small openings during minor surgeries (6m5s).
• To address this issue, a headlamp with a full respirator was created, which was showcased in a subsequent slide, and this device was developed through innovation and collaboration with medical engineering during the COVID-19 pandemic (6m29s).
• The device was made from a snorkeling mask, which was affordable at around Rp 5,000, and a GoPro mount with a HEPA filter, which was also relatively inexpensive at around Rp 5,000, and the final product was significantly cheaper than a full respirator, which cost around Rp 5 million (6m54s).
• The device was very helpful during surgeries, and a video demonstrating its use can be seen in the next part of the presentation (7m46s).

Portable Endoscopy Device and Kranioplasti

• Another innovation is a portable endoscopy device, which is used for examining small openings in the body and was recognized as an outstanding work by the nation's children in 2019 (8m41s).
• The device is a compact version of a traditional endoscopy machine, which is the size of a large cabinet, and it allows for wireless examination and real-time results, making it more convenient for patients and doctors (9m2s).
• The device is not intended to replace the equipment used in operating rooms but rather to provide a more accessible option for polyclinics, and its price is significantly lower, at under Rp 5 million, compared to the traditional machine, which costs hundreds of millions or even billions of rupiah (10m0s).
• Another innovation is kranioplasti, a surgical procedure that involves creating a custom-made skull cap, which is a collaboration between neurosurgeons and medical engineers, and this procedure can be performed more efficiently with the help of 3D printing technology (10m9s).
• The traditional method of creating a skull cap during surgery can take more than 10 hours, but with kranioplasti, the process can be significantly faster, and the skull cap can be prepared in advance using data from a CT scan and 3D printing (10m47s).
• A doctor can prepare for an operation by knowing what to expect and the potential difficulties, and this can be achieved through collaboration between medical and engineering fields, such as medical engineering, which is available at ITS (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember) (11m9s).
• This collaboration can lead to the creation of molds for a patient's skull, for example, which can reduce the operation time from over 10 hours to less than 3 hours (11m20s).

Challenges and Opportunities in Healthcare Innovation

• Indonesia has many intelligent people, but innovation in healthcare technology is limited, partly because people are hesitant to take the first step due to uncertainty about the market demand (12m3s).
• Many people in the healthcare industry are afraid to innovate because they think it's too complicated or that others might have already done it, but taking the first step is crucial, and even simple innovations can be important (12m30s).
• Innovators should not have high egos and assume that their invention will be widely used or praised; instead, they should focus on solving real problems and work together with others to create effective innovations (13m22s).
• In the medical field, for example, software developers might create software that is not actually needed by doctors, so it's essential to work together and put aside egos to create useful innovations (14m5s).

Innovations in Medical Data Recording and Portable Endoscopy

• The "Satu Sehat" platform in Indonesia is an example of a healthcare innovation, but it has limitations, such as the government's request for doctors to record medical data in a way that is not compatible with the platform's requirements (14m22s).
• To address this issue, a new system for recording medical data was patented, which makes it easier for doctors to write medical records and prescriptions in a way that is similar to their usual practices (15m23s).
• Another innovation is a portable endoscopy device called "Souryamber," which is a small, handheld device that can be used for medical procedures, and its compact size can make people underestimate its capabilities (15m48s).
• Innovation can be achieved with simple and complex objects, and users are the ones who truly understand what works and what doesn't, so it's essential to approach them to solve problems (16m23s).

Collaboration and the Problem of Prestige

• Collaboration can be done in many ways, and it's crucial to be open to different approaches and not be limited by the idea that everything must be high-tech or electronic (17m12s).
• The problem of prestige can hinder innovation, as some inventors may be reluctant to share their work or seek investment due to a sense of pride or accomplishment (17m20s).

Personal Experience with Portable Endoscopy and its Success

• A personal experience with a portable endoscopy device that was initially met with skepticism but later gained attention and interest from doctors and manufacturers at a symposium, leading to pre-orders and royalty purchases (17m54s).
• The experience taught the importance of humility and not being afraid to showcase one's work, even if it's not as a main speaker or presenter, as it can lead to unexpected opportunities (18m13s).
• The device was later adopted by several universities in Indonesia, and the inventor was invited to teach about innovation and business development (18m58s).
• It's essential to be open to opportunities and not be limited by pride or prestige, as success can come from unexpected places (19m12s).

The Importance of Taking the First Step and Choosing the Right Market

• The first step in innovation is often the most challenging, but it's crucial to be brave and take that step, as it can determine one's future (19m35s).
• The choice between entering a competitive market (Red Ocean) or creating a new market (Blue Ocean) is crucial, as the latter offers more opportunities and potential for growth, but requires courage and innovation (19m44s).