Learn to speak tech

*Curriculum Overview

How to Speak Tech is designed as a practical, non-technical curriculum for healthcare professionals who must lead, commission, or collaborate on digital solutions. The course emphasises shared language, informed decision-making, and realistic trade-offs rather than hands-on coding.

Module 1: How Computers Actually Work (Foundations)

Purpose: Build intuition, not technical depth.

• What computers, servers, and cloud platforms do (in plain language)
• Data, storage, memory, and processing
• What “software” really is: applications, services, APIs
• How digital systems fail �" and why

Module 2: Programming Languages & Digital Architectures (At a High Level) Purpose: Help participants understand what they are hearing when engineers talk.

• What programming languages are �" and why there are many
• Common language families
• Front-end vs back-end vs mobile vs embedded software
• Databases, integrations, and interoperability
• What technical choices matter �" and which usually don’t

Module 3: Key Roles in Digital Product Development Purpose: Clarify who does what �" and where accountability sits.

• Product manager vs project manager
• Software engineers, data scientists, QA, UX/UI designers
• Architects and security specialists
• Internal teams vs external vendors
• How misaligned roles create delivery risk

Module 4: Working with Development Agencies & Vendors Purpose: Enable confident commissioning and oversight.

• When to use an agency vs internal teams
• How to evaluate agencies beyond the sales pitch
• Asking the right technical questions as a non-technical lead
• Contracts, scopes, milestones, and incentives
• Red flags in proposals and delivery plans

Module 5: DevOps, Delivery Pipelines & Reality of Timelines Purpose: Set realistic expectations for delivery and change.

• What DevOps actually means (and what it doesn’t)
• Environments: development, test, validation, production
• Release cycles, versioning, and updates
• Validation vs deployment in regulated environments
• Why timelines slip �" and how to reduce risk

Module 6: Change Management & Adoption in Healthcare Settings Purpose: Ensure solutions are used, not just delivered.

• Digital change vs organisational change
• Operational workflow impact
• Stakeholder engagement and training
• Measuring adoption and value in practice
• Common failure modes in healthcare digital change

Module 7: Costs, Commercial Models & Determining ROI Purpose: Improve financial decision-making around digital initiatives.

• Where digital costs really come from
• One-off vs recurring costs (build, run, maintain)
• Pricing models: fixed price, time & materials, SaaS
• Estimating benefits and defining success metrics
• Determining ROI under uncertainty

Module 8: Buy vs Build vs Partner Decisions Purpose: Support strategic technology choices.

• When buying makes sense �" and when it doesn’t
• Risks of custom builds
• Platform, configuration, and integration strategies
• Long-term ownership, lock-in, and scalability
• Making defensible decisions for governance and audit

Module 9: Regulation, Compliance & Risk (Healthcare-Specific) Purpose: Embed regulatory thinking early, not as an afterthought.

• Medical device software vs non-regulated software
• Data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity basics
• Validation, documentation, and audit trails
• Working with quality and regulatory teams
• How regulation shapes technical choices

Module 10: From Idea to Execution �" A Practical Framework Purpose: Tie everything together into a repeatable approach.

• Translating healthcare problems into technical briefs
• Defining success, constraints, and trade-offs
• Governing digital initiatives over time
• Knowing when to stop, pivot, or scale
• Becoming a credible digital counterpart �" without becoming technical

What This Course Is �" and Is Not

• �" A shared language for healthcare and technology
• �" A decision-making framework for non-technical leaders
• �" Grounded in real healthcare, regulatory, and organisational constraints
• �- Not a coding course
• �- Not vendor-specific training

• Delivery: On-demand virtual course (in-person workshops are available �" see pricing section)
• Modules: 10 modules (see course curriculum)
• Duration: 15 �" 20 h
• Access: 12 months access to all course materials

Dr. Sophie Laurenson (PhD / Executive MBA)
CEO and Founder, MedDev Central

With a PhD in Biophysics/Bioengineering (Oncology) and an Executive MBA, Sophie Laurenson has spent over 20 years at the intersection of science, business, and digital innovation in healthcare. She has led the development and evaluation of digital health tools, medical devices, and technology platforms, helping organisations translate complex technical concepts into actionable solutions.

For nearly a decade at Abbott, Sophie spearheaded open innovation and corporate investment programmes, driving partnerships and digital transformation initiatives across multiple business units. She has evaluated technologies and startups worldwide, shaping investment decisions and advising on the development and commercialisation of digital and medical innovations.

As a consultant to global medical device and pharmaceutical companies, she has guided teams in creating, scaling, and integrating digital solutions�“ranging from customer-facing applications to internal process improvements�“while aligning technology development with regulatory, clinical, and business requirements.

Having founded multiple startups and spin-outs, Sophie combines hands-on entrepreneurial experience with the perspective of a corporate investor. This unique insight enables her to teach healthcare leaders how to engage confidently with technology teams, make informed digital decisions, and lead innovation initiatives that are realistic, actionable, and value-driven.

LinkedIn Profile

Designed for healthcare. Built for non-technical leaders. Focused on real-world outcomes.

Ideal for junior and middle managers working in:

• Digital health and innovation teams
• Product, operations, and transformation roles
• Clinical, quality, and improvement programmes

Need a custom package? We offer tailored solutions for large teams, academic institutions, and incubators/accelerators.

Contact us to discuss tailored solutions, enterprise licensing or co-branded delivery.