An app for 500K surgeries and counting
3 YEARS. 5 APPS. 500K SURGERIES.*
We’re not heart surgeons. But we’ve made five apps that help cardiologists perform surgeries at their best across the world—all thanks to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® (MHIF).
The complicated subject matter put simplicity at a premium. The importance of the project meant we needed to work hand-in-hand with clinical experts the whole way. And in the end, this yearslong partnership with global cardiology leaders has added a whole new kind of capability to our team.
*Our 5 MHIF apps have been used more than 500,000 times, with an average of 25 minutes per session. When you compare that to an industry average mobile app time of 5 minutes, you'll start to understand why we're so proud.
MAKING SURGERY (AS) SIMPLE (AS POSSIBLE)
Surgery is not easy. But our apps were designed to help cardiologists correct common mistakes, learn new techniques and master unfamiliar devices.
This niche and specialized audience provided a range of puzzles. Like when we realized the UX needed to avoid swipe gestures because surgical realities only allow for tapping.
BRINGING IN THE MD PHDS
Consulting with clinical experts was crucial to every project phase. Not just for liability–but also for pure effectiveness.
This partnership went way beyond just user testing. We worked with these experts to enable them to build airtables of the actual data in these apps. Clinicians truly became part of the build process, not just bug testing at the end. (Although they also did that, and were very good at it.)
DEVELOPING HEALTH EXPERTISE
MHIF is just one of several longstanding healthcare client partnerships. We’ve worked with Mayo Clinic, Allina Health, UnitedHealthcare, and more.
We’ve built apps and tools for business, patient and clinical purposes.
We’ve led projects. We’ve supported in-house dev teams. And we’re proud of the impact this work allows us to have along the way.
If you have any potential app projects in the future, reach out to learn more about us.
End Note
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Ken Krutsch is Founder & President of KRUTSCH, a digital product design firm. From concept to delivery, KRUTSCH specializes in designing consumer and commercial applications. We generate and execute ideas, finding opportunities for our clients to innovate. Because solving the right problem builds careers, organizations, and professional relationships.
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