Episode Details

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In this episode of MedTech for Beginners, Kate Pym speaks with Dr Tom Adler, former GP and co-founder of Bide, about the journey from a clinical problem to a real product used to help reduce the risk of nighttime falls.

Tom shares how years of caring for patients in rural general practice, along with his personal experience of seeing his mother live with Alzheimer’s disease and suffer a series of falls, led him to focus on fall prevention rather than fall detection.

They discuss the original eureka moment behind Bide, the importance of designing for simplicity, and why technologies that do not require apps, Wi‑Fi, or complicated setup can be more inclusive for many older people and families.

The conversation also explores prototyping, grants, regulation, privacy, digital exclusion, and what it really takes to move a healthcare idea from a piece of paper to use in homes and care settings.

Topics covered

• Preventing nighttime falls
  
  
• The story behind Bide
  
  
• Designing for older adults
  
  
• Simplicity in MedTech
  
  
• Digital exclusion and accessibility
  
  
• Privacy and data security in Health Innovation
  
  
• Moving from idea to market
  
  
• Working with NHS organisations
  
  

This episode is especially useful for clinicians, founders, innovators, carers, and anyone interested in building healthcare products that solve real problems without adding unnecessary complexity.

MedTech for Beginners explores the practical realities of developing, testing, and introducing innovations into health and care through conversations with clinicians, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals.

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