In this episode, Dr. Amani Alnimr challenges the traditional top-down approach to healthcare design. She argues that for too long, the patient's perspective has been absent from the blueprint of medical systems, leading to a focus on policy and protocol over lived experience. Dr. Alnimr introduces the concept of Participatory Action Research (PAR), a model where patients are not just subjects but are co-researchers and co-designers of the very systems meant to serve them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Patient absence in system design: Healthcare systems have historically been designed with the patient's experience notably absent from the blueprint, relying on policies and protocols rather than the lived experiences of those they aim to serve.

Participatory Action Research (PAR): This framework redefines the relationship between researchers and patients by casting patients as co-researchers who help shape questions, collect data, and co-own the outcomes.

From consultation to co-creation: True healthcare innovation requires a shift from simply consulting patients for feedback to actively collaborating with them in the design process, recognizing them as entrepreneurs and innovators.

Lived experience as credible data: A patient's voice, speaking from lived experience, is a valuable data set. Ignoring it is not just unkind but clinically inefficient, as it can be a source of insights for system improvement.

The age of the patient entrepreneur: When patients build frameworks, narratives, or policies that shift practice, they are engaging in enterprise and innovation driven by need, not just technology.

BEST MOMENTS

"For far too long, the architecture of health care systems has been crafted with the patient notably absent from the blueprint."

"We have rarely paused long enough to invite those we aim to serve into the design studio."

"The architecture of healthcare systems has been crafted with the patient notably absent from the blueprint."

"That brings us to a research model that captures this shift with real methodological clarity: Participatory Action Research."

"If entrepreneurship is about solving problems and creating value, then we must broaden who gets to be called an innovator."

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HOST BIO

Dr Alnimr empowers clinicians, academics, and health professionals to transform their expertise into scalable, evidence-based solutions—without compromising their professional integrity. Her deep understanding of medical research methodology, combined with a talent for demystifying complex systems, positions her as a leading voice in the evolution of healthcare careers.

Through The Medics Podcast, she shares strategic insights, case studies, and frameworks designed to help healthcare experts build meaningful, sustainable impact beyond the traditional clinical path. 

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/