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Healthcare companies are lagging behind. Oftentimes, clinical trial research still uses old-school processes like physical protocol binders, paper diaries, and decade old-software. Furthermore, only 5% of the U.S. population participates in clinical research. Andrea Coravos (MBA ’17) believes the time is ripe for innovative technologies – from virtual trials and digital biomarkers to improved software tools – to improve clinical trial execution and encourage broader participation from the public.

Just getting started learning about blockchain? This primer from DI professor, Karim Lakhani is the place to start. In this HBR Whiteboard Session, Professor Lakhani explains how the blockchain works and why we should care. Finally, Lakhani provides a brief roadmap for leaders looking to implement the promising technology within their own organizations.

Despite its centrality to the functioning of society, the technology that governs contracts, transactions, and record keeping has not kept up with the digital transformation of the economy. Blockchain, however, has the potential to change all that – that is, if it can overcome multiple barriers to adoption. In this article for HBR, DI professors Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani share what it would really take for blockchain to become the revolutionary technology everyone hopes it will be.

With a finance empire spanning mobile/online payments, wealth management, digital-first banking, credit scoring, and yes, cryptocurrencies, Ant Financial is one of the most influential fintech companies in the world. This case from DI professor Feng Zhu on how Ant Financial has managed its growth strategy is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the current state of fintech innovation today.

With promises of making big money off of readers without relying on subscriptions and hundreds of alleged partners who’ve signed on as early testers, publishing startup Invisibly might just be the next big thing/one of media’s best kept secrets. But if it’s not subscriptions, and it’s not advertising, what exactly is Invisibly’s play – and how can they be so confident it will translate into billions?

In response to the growing tendency towards short-form content and 140-character length snippets, Medium established itself as a destination for thought pieces and long-form articles. This case from Robert Siegel and Matthew Saucedo takes a look inside the challenges facing Medium’s leadership team as they strive to build a successful digital media company and develop a sustainable monetization model. As journalism innovates, can Medium serve as a noteworthy model for publishing in the digital age?

One of the recurring themes we heard coming out of our Future of Advertising and Publishing Forum was the rise of audio and voice-assisted devices in the role of journalism. It is becoming increasingly clear that this is “the next big thing” in the realm of media consumption, and former Nieman Lab fellow Trushar Barot highlights the current state of this growing trend. Barot’s takeaways? News orgs need to be doing more to prepare for the implications of this disruptive technology.

It’s clear that the media landscape is rapidly changing. But how do companies actually maneuver through the digital transformation in their own industries? Perhaps no one is better equipped to answer this question than the panel of experts at our Future Assembly conference this past April. In this talk, Professor Bharat Anand speaks with Nicco Mele of the Shorenstein Center, Jake Shapiro of Radio Public (and formerly PRX), and Justin Williams of Turner Broadcasting about how digital has impacted such industries as newspapers, television, and radio. The takeaways may just surprise you!