Meet the innovator: Carey McClellan

In this edition, we caught up with Carey McClellan, CEO and Clinical director at getUBetter; an evidence-based, CE marked, digital self-management platform for all common musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. 

Pictured above: Carey McClellan of getUBetter

Tell us about your innovation in a sentence.

getUBetter is an evidence-based, CE marked digital self-management platform for all common musculoskeletal injuries and conditions.  Our aim is to provide true local self-management support, helping patients to trust their recovery and have the confidence to use less healthcare resource.

We help organisations, such as Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG’s), to provide a digital first approach for their MSK pathways. Each element of the pathway is configured to the local health system and delivered to their population.

What was the ‘lightbulb’ moment?

During my PhD and clinical work, it became clear to me that digital health technology for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions focused on specific silos of care which did not solve the problem created inefficiencies and was not in the patient’s best interest.   I realised it was possible to develop a whole pathway solution, enabling organizations to deliver a digital first approach to MSK care whilst avoiding silos and preventing over treatment.

What three bits of advice would you give budding innovators?

1. Never give up – it takes a long time in the NHS and keep turning over new stones.
2. Learn to listen and never judge people too quickly.
3. Your team are crucial to your success. They will often have better skills in areas than you – so let them do what they know best.

What’s been your toughest obstacle?

Getting evidence-based technology adopted by the NHS is hard. Proving it in one geographical area does not mean it will automatically flow into the next.

What’s been your innovator journey highlight?

Seeing your idea and technology being used by organisations, clinicians and patients.

Best part of your job now?

Being part of a great team.

If you were in charge of the NHS and care system, what’s the one thing you’d do to speed up health innovation?

Enable proven technology from one area be adopted without starting the process of evaluation again. Provide some central matched funding for Digital Health Technology (DHT) adoption.

A typical day for you would include..

Every single day is different and varied but very busy…..

Where can we find you?

For more information, visit their website at getubetter.com or follow them on Twitter @getubetter