DeepSeek AI: Health and social care innovation lessons

Dr Richard Dune

31-01-2025

DeepSeek AI: Health and social care innovation lessons

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Lessons from DeepSeek AI: How constraints can drive innovations in health and socialcare

The story of DeepSeek AI illustrates how constraints can fuel progress and inspire innovation. As a low-cost competitor to ChatGPT, its emergence has disrupted the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) market, wiping $600 billion off Nvidia’s market value overnight. DeepSeek’s success challenges industries worldwide, including health and social care, to rethink their approaches to innovation in resource-constrained environments.

In this blog, Dr Richard Dune explores the implications of DeepSeek’s success for health and social care organisations. Using the diffusion of innovations framework and insights from The Mandatory Training Groups’ development of ComplyPlus™, he delves into actionable strategies for fostering innovation in this vital sector.

The diffusion of innovations framework

Everett Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory categorises technology adopters into five groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Several key factors influence the speed and success of adoption:

Relative advantage - Does the innovation improve outcomes or reduce costs?
Compatibility - Can it integrate seamlessly with existing systems?
Computer vision - Processes and interprets medical images, aiding in radiology and pathology.
Complexity - Is it user-friendly and easy to implement?

DeepSeek’s rapid adoption demonstrates its ability to excel in all these areas:

Relative advantage - High-quality performance at a fraction of the cost of competitors like ChatGPT.
Compatibility - Seamless integration with existing AI architectures.
Simplicity - Cost-effective and accessible to a broad audience.
Complexity - Is it user-friendly and easy to implement?

For health and social care organisations, these principles can guide the adoption of innovative solutions in compliance, training, and service delivery.

Innovating under constraints - The DeepSeek advantage

DeepSeek’s engineers faced significant challenges due to U.S. export restrictions limiting access to advanced semiconductors. To overcome this, they developed techniques to enhance communication efficiency between components, reducing costs and resource requirements. As Ion Stoica, co-founder of Databricks, observed,

“Constraints and scarcity fuel innovation.”

This lesson holds profound implications for health and social care:

Wider adoption - Lower costs make advanced AI accessible to smaller organisations and resource-constrained sectors.
Increased competition - DeepSeek’s success pressures incumbents to innovate and reduce prices.

For a sector often constrained by tight budgets, DeepSeek’s story underscores the importance of leveraging creativity and resourcefulness to drive progress.

Key lessons for health and social care

As health and social care organisations navigate the complexities of service delivery in an evolving landscape, valuable insights can be drawn from innovative industries. By examining DeepSeek’s transformative approach to AI, we uncover lessons that highlight the power of resourcefulness, affordability, competition, and infrastructure. These principles serve as a blueprint for organisations seeking to overcome challenges, embrace innovation, and deliver better outcomes for service users. Below are four key lessons that can drive progress and sustainability in the health and social care sector:

1. Constraints drive innovation

DeepSeek’s engineers turned scarcity into an advantage. Similarly, health and social care organisations can:

Leverage open-source tools - Free or low-cost platforms provide a foundation for customisation.
Focus on incremental changes - Implement practical solutions to address immediate challenges.
Optimise resource use - Maximise impact with limited budgets.

Constraints should be seen as opportunities to innovate rather than barriers to progress.

2. Affordability enables adoption

DeepSeek’s affordability is set to democratise access to advanced AI. In health and social care, cost-effective solutions can:

Enable smaller providers, such as domiciliary care agencies, to adopt compliance and workforce management tools.
Expand access to e-learning platforms for mandatory training, reducing costs for staff and organisations.

Providers must highlight Return On Investment (ROI) to build support for innovation.

3. Competition fuels progress

DeepSeek disrupted the status quo, pushing competitors to innovate. A competitive environment in health and social care can:

Encourage diversity in available solutions, reducing reliance on a single vendor.
Drive improvements in quality, usability, and cost-effectiveness.

Competition accelerates market growth and expands opportunities for providers and service users alike.

4. Infrastructure and ecosystems matter

DeepSeek’s success relied on its integration with existing AI architectures. Health and social care organisations must:

Invest in digital readiness - Upgrade IT systems to support new technologies.
Prioritise workforce training - Equip staff with skills to use innovative tools effectively.
Foster collaboration - Partner with technology providers, policymakers, and stakeholders to share resources and best practices.

ComplyPlus™ - Turning constraints into opportunities

At The Mandatory Training Group, we faced similar challenges when developing ComplyPlus™, our regulatory compliance management system. Initially, the market was dominated by inefficient manual processes such as spreadsheets and paper files. Convincing organisations to adopt digital solutions was a daunting task without significant external funding.

Overcoming challenges

We addressed these challenges by:

Starting small - Developing practical tools for early adopters.
Focusing on real-world needs - Addressing specific pain points in compliance and workforce training.
Listening to feedback - Continuously improving the platform based on user input.

Harnessing AI for greater impact

Today, ComplyPlus™ integrates AI to:

Personalise learning pathways for staff.
Provide real-time updates on regulatory changes.
Automate compliance tracking, reducing administrative burdens.

Our journey demonstrates that even small organisations can innovate and thrive by prioritising efficiency, adaptability, and user-centric design.

Recommendations for health and social care organisations

To embrace the lessons of DeepSeek and drive innovation, health and social care providers should:

Start small - Pilot new technologies on a limited scale to manage risks and build confidence.
Focus on ROI - Highlight cost savings and efficiency gains to justify investments.
Encourage competition - Diversify suppliers to explore emerging solutions.
Invest in infrastructure - Build systems that support sustainable digital transformation.
Leverage collaboration - Work with stakeholders to share resources and accelerate progress.

Embracing innovation for impact

DeepSeek’s rise is a testament to the power of constraints to drive progress. For health and social care organisations, the key takeaways are clear:

Constraints should inspire creativity, not hinder progress.
Affordable solutions and competition can unlock new opportunities.
Building robust infrastructure is essential for long-term success.

At The Mandatory Training Group, we remain committed to fostering innovation through ComplyPlus™ and other initiatives. Our mission is to help health and social care providers navigate the complexities of digital transformation, improving outcomes for staff and service users alike.

Empowering compliance through digital transformation

Navigating compliance can be complex, but with ComplyPlus™, organisations can streamline processes, ensuring efficiency and regulatory adherence.

Our CPD-accredited eLearning courses offer flexible training solutions, equipping staff with the skills necessary to maintain compliance standards. By integrating AI-powered compliance tracking, we help organisations easily stay ahead of industry regulations.

Every organisation has unique needs when it comes to compliance. We can assist with whether you require industry-specific training or a customised regulatory framework!

Simply fill out our form below, and we’ll work with you to develop tailored compliance solutions that align with your goals.

Last updated on 31-01-2025

About the author

Dr Richard Dune

With over 25 years of experience, Dr Richard Dune has a rich background in the NHS, the private sector, academia, and research settings. His forte lies in clinical R&D, advancing healthcare tech, workforce development, and governance. His leadership ensures that regulatory compliance and innovation align seamlessly.