Winning Hearts Before Signatures: Stakeholder Engagement in Healthcare

Innovation is rarely about just the technology. It’s about the people who use it, approve it, advocate for it or block it.

In healthcare, you are not just selling a solution. You are introducing change into a system that is already under strain. If that change isn’t understood, accepted and championed by the right people, even the best product will falter.

Stakeholder Engagement Is Not an Afterthought

Too many innovators treat stakeholder engagement as something that happens after the product is built. They reach out when they need a pilot site, a testimonial, or procurement sign-off. But by then, it’s often too late.

By the time stakeholders are brought in, the product may already feel alien to their workflow, or like yet another top-down solution imposed without consultation. The result? Resistance, slow adoption, and failure to scale.

Instead, engagement must be woven into every phase of the journey from discovery through to implementation and beyond.

Map Influence, Not Just Org Charts

One of the most common mistakes is focusing solely on formal roles: clinical leads, procurement officers, finance directors. While these are essential contacts, informal influence matters just as much if not more.

A respected nurse manager might not be in the room when decisions are made, but their opinion could determine whether a team embraces or ignores your tool. A digitally savvy junior doctor might quietly become your biggest internal advocate if they’re involved early. A programme manager who’s been through three failed rollouts might torpedo the next one  unless they’re invited to shape it.

Understanding who holds influence  both official and informal  is critical. So is mapping when they matter: in shaping the product, approving the budget, enabling rollout, or sustaining use.

Co-Design Builds Ownership, Not Just Usability

Workshops with clinicians and operational staff are often treated as UX exercises. In reality, they are opportunities to build shared ownership.

When staff contribute to design choices  when they see their insights reflected in how the tool functions  they are far more likely to advocate for its adoption. It’s no longer an “external” tool. It becomes something they helped shape.

Co-design also uncovers risks that founders may miss: points where workflows break, where responsibilities blur, or where technical integrations fall short. Catching these issues early builds trust and saves enormous downstream cost.

Communicate to Reduce Fear, Not Just Impress

It’s tempting to lead with stats, market potential, and clinical papers. But most adoption barriers aren’t intellectual. They’re emotional.

Staff wonder:

• Will this slow me down?

• Will I get the training I need?

• What happens if it breaks?

• Will I be blamed if patients are affected?

You need to answer these questions before they’re asked. That means framing your communications around:

• Impact on day-to-day tasks

• Ease of use and support

• Safety and oversight

• Alignment with organisational goals

Trust is built by addressing concerns, not just showcasing benefits.

Engagement Doesn’t End with the Pilot

Too often, engagement peaks during procurement and drops off once the pilot starts. But the moments aft

er implementation are when trust is either reinforced or lost.

This is the time to:

• Close the loop on feedback

• Celebrate contributions

• Share early wins

• Adapt quickly to operational realities

Sustained engagement means maintaining relationships, even when the headlines are over. The teams who feel listened to will not only keep using your product  they will promote it to others.

Final Thought

In healthcare, transformation is personal. It’s not just about logic or data  it’s about relationships, reputation and readiness.

Engagement isn’t a task. It’s a mindset. One that treats every interaction as a step toward trust, alignment and long-term impact.

If you’re building something that truly helps, you don’t need to convince people  you need to involve them.