Meet the woman turning scientists into digital health executives

Clare Purvis is a Stanford-trained psychologist who made the leap into digital health almost a decade ago. While working at companies like Headspace, Sanofi, and Flo, she felt lonely. Clare was frequently the voice of scientific rigor in agile tech companies, navigating strong science and corporate growth strategy. Clare started a networking group, WELL for Digital Health, for other female scientists that moved from academia to industry. WELL has transformed into a global community and accelerator program to get more women in science building top digital health products. My interview with Clare today dives into the evolution of WELL and provides insights into how scientists and medical professionals can join and add value to the world of health technology.  

Why did you want to start WELL for Digital Health? 

I started WELL after joining my first startup following my PhD graduation. I really enjoyed working cross functionally in the organization, but I also had the experience that a lot of scientists have in industry – I felt lonely. I was used to working down the hall from peers and mentors and then suddenly I was an N of 1 as the only psychologist in this company. I lived in San Francisco, CA at the time and I started to reach out to other women I either knew or heard about that were also working at mental health startups. My goal was to create a community of female scientists working in product to share advice and mentorship. The group grew organically over time and stayed that way for years.  

How has WELL evolved over time? 

More and more women working in research or scientific roles at startups wanted to join. Eventually the Covid-19 pandemic caused massive growth in our online community, which now has over 1,000 members in our Slack group. The more I spoke with other women, the more I realized that I had spent so much time learning by doing, and that I could accelerate that process for others by packaging up these learnings in a more formal capacity. I launched the WELL Career Accelerator which is in its second year and fifth cohort. I hope that the participants find long lasting relationships with peers, a sense of belonging, as well as growth and impact in their career by participating.  

What business skills do you wish were taught in scientific or medical graduate programs?  

We need to teach trainees more about the fundamentals of how healthcare runs as a business. Specifically, the roles of providers, patients, employers, and insurance companies, and who pays for what in the United States. They need to understand budgets and financial cycles. This can be useful for running healthcare practices and in the health technology world.  

Increasingly healthcare is digitally enabled. I see opportunities for electives related to business strategy, user experience, and design thinking. These topics can be really intimidating but exposure can demystify these ways of thinking. Learning the basics of design thinking can help anyone effectively innovate in healthcare.  

How can scientists navigate the balance of applying academic rigor to product development in an industry that can’t afford to spend 5 years on a randomized control trial? 

Most healthcare products are about changing behavior. We can look at science as a process to create behavior as an outcome. I always ask myself, “What is the right data that we need to collect in order to measure the outcome?” That outcome could be a reduction in depression, weight loss, or smoking cessation. Peer reviewed literature can inform options for interventions for behavior change and are great resources. When you look at high performing product teams that are continually adding value to users, they are constantly conducting mini experiments! Product development IS science! Iterating and refining over time leads to applied impact.  

What kind of study designs do you and your colleagues suggest for digital health companies that build evidence and inform product decisions?  

Most executives are data driven, so I start with asking what data they want and then work backwards to think about how we are going to collect that data which ultimately informs business decisions. I am a big fan of mixed methods research which combines user surveys or interviews with quantitative data. We can look at the actions users take within the software, where they are falling off, and if they are doing what we want them to do to improve their health. Matt Wallart’s Start at the End book is a phenomenal resource that simplifies behavioral science for product developers.  

Do you have any suggestions for how digital health companies can emphasize and communicate that they are committed to science and research?  

This is where more traditional research methods come in. For companies to speak publicly about their product having measurable impact on health outcomes they have to be dedicated to conducting rigorous studies over months not weeks. Health outcomes take time to shift. Companies have to invest in the work with the right staff or consultants, utilize validated measures, and then publish their findings. Sharing information about ongoing studies and study findings on the company website, as well as presenting at conferences are great ways to show commitment to evidence generation and science.  

How can people get involved in the WELL community?  

• Join the free online community (Slack group + email newsletters) to connect with others, learn about job opportunities (often with warm introductions!), and stay up to date on our community events as well as other digital health conferences. 

• Connect with Clare on LinkedIn 

• Learn about the career accelerator. 

Thank you, Clare, for sharing your story!  

This interview was edited for brevity.  

Katie D. McMillan, MPH is the CEO of Well Made Health, LLC, a business strategy consulting firm for health technology companies. She is also a curious researcher and writer focusing on digital health evidence, healthcare innovation, and women’s health. Katie can be reached at katie@wellmadehealth.com or LinkedIn.