Digital health firms urged to focus on real-world impact as sector grows

Originally published by The Derbyshire Times. We are proud to work with companies across the East Midlands, the UK and beyond.

Digital health companies in Derbyshire and across the wider East Midlands must focus more on communicating real-world impact as the sector grows and becomes increasingly competitive, according to a regional healthcare communications specialist.

The East Midlands, including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, is home to a growing cluster of digital health and medtech businesses developing solutions across AI, analytics, remote monitoring and patient engagement. As more organisations address similar priorities, differentiation is becoming increasingly important.

Jen Bell, founder of Bell Health Communications, who is based in Derbyshire and works with healthcare, digital health and medtech organisations in the UK and internationally, said the market is maturing quickly.

“Healthcare innovation is accelerating at pace, but many organisations are addressing similar challenges, from productivity and workforce pressures to patient engagement and pathway optimisation,” she said.

“Once technology is live, the question becomes how it is being used in practice and what difference it is making. Communicating that clearly can help organisations stand out.”

Much of the conversation around health tech focuses on innovation, architecture and implementation. However, once systems are embedded in services, organisations face a different challenge: explaining how technology supports day-to-day use.

Healthcare messaging often centres on interoperability, analytics and platform functionality. However, stakeholders are also looking for clarity around workflow improvements, clinician experience and service impact.

Drawing on experience across healthcare and hospitality sectors, Jen said other industries often focus more strongly on communicating experience once services are launched.

“In hospitality and tourism, communication quickly shifts to what the experience feels like and how things have improved,” she said. “In health tech, messaging can remain focused on features, even when services are live and making a real difference.”

Examples might include explaining how clinicians access information more easily, how administrative burden is reduced or how patients experience more joined-up care.

“These kinds of real-world stories often resonate far more strongly than purely technical explanations,” Jen added.

As healthcare technology becomes more embedded in operational workflows, organisations are increasingly communicating day-to-day use, clinician feedback and service improvements.

“With more organisations entering the market, companies are competing not just on capability but on clarity,” Jen said. “Explaining how services change in practice can help stakeholders understand value more quickly.”