TY - GEN
T1 - Designing sustainable revenue models for CHW-centric entrepreneurial ventures
AU - Callan, Jonathan
AU - Sundin, Phillip
AU - Suffian, Stephen
AU - Mehta, Khanjan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 IEEE.
PY - 2014/12/1
Y1 - 2014/12/1
N2 - Developing countries around the world have implemented Community Health Worker (CHW) programs to improve community health through education, advocacy and direct assistance. CHWs have repeatedly proven their ability to mitigate the growing double disease burden of infectious and chronic illnesses. At the same time, a lack of tangible incentives for CHWs leads to high attrition rates, poor efficiency and lack of coordination and accountability. In the quest for transforming CHWs from volunteers to entrepreneurs, a typology of eight business models where CHWs function as the channels and champions for global health projects has been articulated. In parallel, the literature on the failure modes of telemedicine, eHealth and mHealth ventures is gradually growing and providing new insights and practical design lessons. This article synthesizes the business models and failure modes, i.e. it discusses the primary failure modes for each of the eight business models for sustainable CHW projects and programs. This knowledge is pivotal for innovators and entrepreneurs seeking to engage local entrepreneurs and CHWs to operationalize interventions that tackle last mile health care challenges while creating jobs or providing frameworks for income generation and entrepreneurship.
AB - Developing countries around the world have implemented Community Health Worker (CHW) programs to improve community health through education, advocacy and direct assistance. CHWs have repeatedly proven their ability to mitigate the growing double disease burden of infectious and chronic illnesses. At the same time, a lack of tangible incentives for CHWs leads to high attrition rates, poor efficiency and lack of coordination and accountability. In the quest for transforming CHWs from volunteers to entrepreneurs, a typology of eight business models where CHWs function as the channels and champions for global health projects has been articulated. In parallel, the literature on the failure modes of telemedicine, eHealth and mHealth ventures is gradually growing and providing new insights and practical design lessons. This article synthesizes the business models and failure modes, i.e. it discusses the primary failure modes for each of the eight business models for sustainable CHW projects and programs. This knowledge is pivotal for innovators and entrepreneurs seeking to engage local entrepreneurs and CHWs to operationalize interventions that tackle last mile health care challenges while creating jobs or providing frameworks for income generation and entrepreneurship.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936773147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84936773147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/GHTC.2014.6970357
DO - 10.1109/GHTC.2014.6970357
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84936773147
T3 - Proceedings of the 4th IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2014
SP - 687
EP - 693
BT - Proceedings of the 4th IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2014
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 4th IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2014
Y2 - 10 October 2014 through 13 October 2014
ER -