Transforming Health Systems: Gamechanging Business Models

Transcription

1 1 sur 11 01/06/ :56 English CHALLENGES PROJECTS LEARNING BLOG LOG IN Transforming Health Systems: Gamechanging Business Models This Entry has been submitted. M-Ultra: Low Cost Cloud Based Ultra Sound Scan Bangalore, India Sanjoe Jose Founder Year Founded: 2011 Organization type: Budget: for proòt $50,000 - $100,000 Bangalore, India Health care Infant health Maternal health Website: Print Give Feedback Tumblr Your insights will be sent privately to this project Facebook to help them improve. LinkedIn RateMore... This Project (292) * Overall Settings... AddThis Privacy Innovation Impact Sustainability Write a Private * Feedback Quick Tips:

2 PROJECT SUMMARY Clarity of Model Financial Sustainability Idea Originality Impact Measurement Impact Potential Partnerships ELEVATOR PITCH Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences. Emprenure Labs is a dynamic Indian technology Òrm providing emerging Scalability Team Understanding of Marketplace Strength Need Improvement economies a ordable access to technologies and products that make lives simpler and eõ cient. Founded by group of dedicated technology enthusiasts from IIT-Bombay. It has several interesting technologies and tools in its portfolio and has been part of Government and Non-government initiatives since inception. ABOUT PROJECT Problem: What problem is this project trying to address? At the present time ultrasound is not available in peripheral health centers and FRUs in India. It is estimated that 70 % of people needing ultrasound have no access to it and the percentage is much more in the rural areas. Mobile technology including smart phones and networks are available in most parts of our country and we propose to harness the mobile technology to make a smart phone based ultrasound device. Conventionally ultrasound systems are housed in major medical centers and are expensive requiring experts on site. M-Ultra will be built as a tool for the last mile diagnostics i.e in PHCs and rural areas where having a full Óedged Ultra Sound Machine is not impossible due to cost and infrastructure constraints. Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be speciòc! Conventionally ultrasound systems are housed in major medical centers and are expensive requiring experts on site. We propose to take away the requirement of heavy duty processors with the use of cloud computing. The system can be used by doctors trained to use the system. The images will be processed by the cloud server providing analytical reports in emergencies. A web-interface application will be made in the cloud so that experts can access the stored data for formal reporting. The FRUs will be 2 sur 11 01/06/ :56

3 3 sur 11 01/06/ :56 IMPACT: HOW DOES IT WORK Example: Walk us through a speciòc example(s) of how this solution makes a di erence; include its primary activities. 70 % of people needing ultrasound have no access to it. M-Ultra will be built as a tool for the last mile diagnostics i.e in PHCs and rural areas where having a full Óedged Ultra Sound Machine is not impossible due to cost and infrastructure constraints. The functionality will be lesser compared to standard tools in order to make it a ordable for the target audience. The First Referral Units will be able to detect common medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies such as appendicitis, gall stones, kidney stones, and obstructed labor to name a few and take neccessary action. Using the power of general purpose probes, smartphones and cloud computing m-ultra will be able to provide the functionalities at 1/10th the cost of currently available products. Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact. We are the design stage and hence not applicable. However once implemented the major beneòciary will be women and children since our product would be able to diagnose complications in pregnancy and thereby reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and by early diagnosis reduce Infant mortality rate. In general People from lower income strata and bottom of the pyramid will also be beneòted by early diagnosis of various ailments. People from Rural areas with limited access to healthcare facilities.

4 4 sur 11 01/06/ :56 SUSTAINABILITY Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution's plan to ensure this initiative's Ònancial sustainability? Short term objectives of the project (upto three years) is to provide smart phone based ultra sound probes to more than Primary Health Centres and more than 4800 Community Health Centres (CHCs) in India through NRHM. In long term we want to provide smart phone based ultra sound probes to all types of Peripheral Health Clinics across the globe helping people needing ultrasound assistance to have access to it. Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project di er from these approaches? All the currently available portable products are priced heavily making them unòt for use in PHCs and rural clinics. For example GE's VScan was launched with a price tag of $8000, high end features and with a launch function where all the major hospitals were targeted. There claim of it being built for last mile diagnostics contradicts with their actions. TEAM Founding Story In one of our discussions with Dr. Joseph he spoke about the potential of Ultra Sound as point of care diagnostics tool in savings millions of lives. He mentioned how the cost is an impediment. On further research we realized that cost of Ultra Sound Scan systems can be drastically brought down using the latest technologies and it can be made portable with remote connectivity too. Organization Name Emprenure Labs

5 5 sur 11 01/06/ :56 ABOUT YOU ABOUT YOU First Name Sanjoe Last Name Jose Twitter URL Facebook URL The information you provide here will be used to Òll in any parts of your proòle that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..

6 6 sur 11 01/06/ :56 INNOVATION Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.? M-ultra is a low cost ultrasonic medical imaging device that can be used as a point of care diagnostic tool in low resource setting through seamless blend of technologies at a ordable cost. The First Referral Units will be able to detect common medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies such as appendicitis, gall stones, kidney stones, and obstructed labor to name a few and take neccessary action. Using the power of general purpose probes, smartphones and cloud computing m-ultra will be able to provide the functionalities at 1/10th the cost of currently available products. Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your Òeld? All the currently available portable ultra sound products are priced heavily making them unòt for use in PHCs and rural clinics. For example GE's VScan as launched with a price tag of $8000, high end features and doesn't provide cloud connectivity which is essential to address lack of availability of experts in patient location. Regarding comparison of M-Ultra with standard products in the market, M-Ultra will be built as a tool for the last mile diagnostics i.e in PHCs and rural areas where having a full Óedged Ultra Sound Machine is not impossible due to cost and infrastructure constraints. The functionality will be lesser compared to standard tools in order to make it a ordable for the target audience. What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful? The team consists of a Doctor working closely with WHO and Indian Government in healthcare initiatives, IIT Bombay alumni, and engineers who have worked with esteemed R&D companies like National Instruments and DRDO Labs. Each of the technologies used are independently proven and available in market. The team is putting together these technologies in a platform which is easily accessible and a ordable for everyone across the world. In addition to this we have already secured support of rural outreach programs run by organizations like NRHM (Govt of India), Biocon Foundation, Wockhardt Foundation, Aravind Eye, Dorabji Trust etc. How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan? The essence of our project lies in reaching out to the people in need of our product for diagnosis. Execution and the operation has to be of highest level to

7 7 sur 11 01/06/ :56 Organization Country, KA, Bangalore

8 8 sur 11 01/06/ :56 BUSINESS MODEL The systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one) Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one] Primary healthcare services Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply] Detection, Intervention, Follow-up. Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one] Idea (poised to launch) Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply] Other. If other, specify here: Use of latest technology Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two] Technology. If other, specify here: What is your value proposition? M-Ultra will be built as a tool for the last mile diagnostics i.e in PHCs and rural areas where having a full Óedged Ultra Sound Machine is not impossible due to cost and infrastructure constraints. The First Referral Units will be able to detect common medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies such as appendicitis, gall stones, kidney stones, and obstructed labor to name a few and take neccessary action. Using the power of general purpose probes, smartphones and cloud computing m-ultra will be able to provide the functionalities at 1/10th the cost of currently available products. Who is your customer(s)? Targeted end users are doctors/sonographers at First Referral Units ( FRUs) of Government health systems which cater to Base of Pyramid Population in India and as well as in other low resource countries. The secondary targeted users are doctors/sonographers working at smaller hospitals or clinics and in mobile/outreach healthcare initiatives. As Ultrasound is becoming an extension

9 9 sur 11 01/06/ :56 SOCIAL IMPACT What methods for quantiòcation of social impact are you applying (if at all)? We would like to measure our impact by the number of FRUs which will equipped with M-ultra. Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where? NA. What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years? The propensity to use preventive health services, such as regular medical check ups and participation in population screening programmes, is more prevalent among higher socioeconomic groups.in addition, Ònancial and other barriers to health services may perpetuate or further augment existing socioeconomic disparities in health.the inability of lower socioeconomic groups to purchase costly health services or insurance may prevent them from accessing care. This poses an important disadvantage for these groups, given their greater burden of disease and corresponding greater need for health services. We are trying to bridge this widening gap by providing easy accessibility to preventive healthcare at a ordable costs. Organization's Country of Operation, KA, Bangalore

10 10 sur 11 01/06/ :56 SUSTAINABILITY Elaborate on your current Ònancing strategy For Phase I of the project we will require $120,000 to complete the prototype. We have secured $60,000 from Grand Challenges Canada. On successful completion of Phase I we are eligible for second grant from GCC of $ 1 mn which will be suõ cient to take us to production stage. Once we reach production stage we will be generating revenue through sale of the device. Since we propose to make m-ultra available at an a ordable price and as the cost of the equipment will be very low, it can be borne by the health care systems or hospital itself. Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent) 100% Direct sales to patients or other beneòciaries (in percent) 30% Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy Patients, Caregivers, Private businesses, Other beneòciaries. Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent) 30% Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy Foundations, Private businesses, Regional government, National government. Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent) 40% Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy Foundations, Private businesses, Regional government, National government. Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail nce we reach production stage we will be generating revenue through sale of the device. Since we propose to make m-ultra available at an a ordable price and as the cost of the equipment will be very low, it can be borne by the health care systems or hospital itself. Cost of cloud computing service which will be the operating cost for M-ultra, can be an annual subscription fee or as pay-per-use by the health systems. The health systems in turn charge their clients a nominal

11 11 sur 11 01/06/ :56 Years in Operation Operating 1-5 years Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them We have been selected for award in Grand Challenges Canada for the same project with funding Ashoka Changemakers. Terms & Privacy Policy About What You Can Do Here Our Team Careers FAQs Partners Contact Us