Service Design as a Catalyst for Patient-Centered eHealth Innovation: An Architectural Design Framework for Cloud-Based Maternal Health Information Service in Underserved Setting

Service Design as a Catalyst for Patient-Centered eHealth Innovation: An Architectural Design Framework for Cloud-Based Maternal Health Information Service in Underserved Setting

Danny Ronald Nyatuka, Retha De La Harpe
Copyright: © 2021 |Pages: 24
DOI: 10.4018/IJISMD.20210701.oa1
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Abstract

Today's healthcare industry is confronted with a myriad of challenges amidst emerging trends and opportunities which trigger a paradigm shift in healthcare design from stand-alone products to holistic services. These three dimensions are critical in assessing and managing healthcare, particularly in underserved settings. This study aims to maximize opportunities presented by both design and information and communication technologies to enhance the implementation of integrated people-centered health services. It is a qualitative study conducted across six government health facilities within Nairobi slums in Kenya as a case study of maternal health information services. Co-design-oriented service design research strategy is employed while a representative sample of (n=47) participants is drawn from different stakeholders in the public health sector. An architectural design framework for cloud-based patient-centered health information service is designed to support maternal care in underserved settings. A prototype service (AfyaTab app) is developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed design solution.
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1. Introduction

Today's health care industry is confronted with a myriad of challenges, alongside emerging trends and opportunities which trigger a paradigm shift in health care design from stand-alone products to holistic services systems encompassing products, interactions, experiences, and services globally (Hackett, Kazemi, & Sellen, 2018; Pamedytyte & Akoglu, 2019; Tsekleves & Cooper, 2017). Among the key challenges experienced include long-term health care, social interaction and support, lifestyle, health & well-being, and active living (Tsekleves & Cooper, 2017). Emerging trends, according to the authors include person-centered health care, holistic health care, community health care, and preventative health care, which would determine the future direction of health care service, practice, and provision. Opportunities at the same time include co-design, evidence-based design, digital design, holistic design, and prototyping through which design can offer value within the health care environment in terms of solving these challenges thereof (Tsekleves & Cooper, 2017). The three dimensions of health design (challenges, trends, and opportunities) play a critical role in monitoring, tracking, and analyzing health and well-being services in underserved settings where the majority of the citizens lack access to basic services including health care (Botts, Horan & Thoms, 2011; Czaja, et al., 2015; Foot, et al., 2014). Vulnerable population groups, and particularly those living in Sub-Saharan Africa region often experience inequalities in terms of standards of living, life expectancy, and resource restrictions including health care as well as the opportunity to utilize information and communication technologies (ICT) due to the digital divide (Botts et al.,2011; Czaja, et al., 2015). The delivery of health care in low-and middle-income countries (LMICS) is primarily hindered by political, social, cultural, economic, environmental, and geographical barriers which influence people’s socioeconomic potential (Roztocki & Weistroffer, 2016; Williams, Mohammed, Leavell, & Collins, 2010). Also, noticeable is the existence of poor health infrastructure, which leads to weak health systems (Oleribe, et al., 2019) while low-income levels prompt the inability of individuals to afford basic services including primary health care (Lade, Jaitpal, & Chitnis, 2014). Moreover, there has been resistance to innovation and change among the stakeholders across the health care industry (Malmberg, et al., 2019), and particularly in the technology innovation sphere (Grisot & Lindroth, 2019).

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