Overview And Evaluation Of Existing Frugal Innovations In Healthcare

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Economy - Health Economics, grade: 1,7, University of Leipzig (Economics and Management Science), language: English, abstract: The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a more precise understanding of frugal innovations in healthcare and further drawing scientific and entrepreneurial attention to them. With the help of the key elements of their business models, the procedures of ten frugal innovators are examined. All of them develop medical devices as well as services for healthcare delivery. The case studies provide empirical evidence to analyse under what conditions established companies of different types, can successfully commercialise frugal innovations. In this context, the development of a profound understanding of the target market as well as the design of a sustainable financing model, turned out to be the biggest challenges for the innovators. In addition, the success of the innovations is based on the establishment of a sector-wide network. Furthermore, this study aims to provide a basis for further investigations and the search for healthcare solutions to counteract the issue of medical under-supply in developing countries. The thesis subdivides into four main sections: After the brief introduction, the theoretical foundations and conceptual frameworks are introduced to enable a basic understanding of the topic. In the same place, the significance of healthcare innovations is explained. The second part depicts the scientific discourse and state of the art in the field of frugal product and service development, based on information from extant literature. With the explanation of the applied research methodology and procedure of analysis, the empirical part of this work commences in the third part. Subsequently it portraits ten examples of frugal innovations in healthcare in detail. The fourth section entails the empirical evaluation and discussion of the prior part. It concludes with theoretical and managerial implications and a prospect for the importance of frugal innovations in healthcare. Potential limitations are discussed and recommendation for further research is given.

This book focuses on how companies are innovating with regard to the Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BOP) − the lowest socio-economic segment, and the organizational conditions they need to be successful. The authors use several examples of disruptive innovations for this market, particularly in the Indian healthcare sector. Low-cost, specialty hospital chains like Aravind Eye Care and Narayana Hrudayalaya have brought down the cost of certain medical procedures significantly. The Indian conglomerate Tata Group and the American healthcare giant GE Healthcare have also developed affordable products targeted at the lowest-income segments in India. The authors present an in-depth analysis of these companies and present their insightful results on disruptive innovation and the ever-challenging BOP market.

In light of growing discourse on 'frugal innovation', this book offers novel approaches to innovation based on extensive empirical research. The study complements a decade of scholarly attention on frugal innovation by taking a research-based approach to innovation in resource-scarce and complex institutional contexts. The findings suggest that concepts such as frugal, reverse, jugaad, social, grassroots and inclusive innovation in fact represent heterogeneous assemblies of innovation for social, environmental and economic value. The conceptual framework invites attention to more plural sources and elements in the study of models of innovation to inspire further research in the fields of strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, economic sociology and development studies. The design framework offers models, metrics and competencies for practitioners and policymakers to identify, evaluate and design frugal innovations. The comprehensive view of frugal innovation demonstrates how firms can implement globally competitive strategies by pursuing innovation for humanity to improve lives for everyone, everywhere.

This book discusses several product development strategies and tools employed by organizations around the world to implement frugal innovations. Over the past decade, frugal innovations have caught the attention of countless management scholars. This book comes at the right time for academics and practitioners alike, as it explores how the concept of frugal innovation has evolved over the past several years and is shifting its focus from merely featuring ‘cost’ driven innovations to being more ‘resourceful’ and ‘sustainable’ at its core. Furthermore, in light of the ongoing digital revolution and emergence of new business models such as sharing economy and circular economy, the book highlights recent and upcoming trends and their impacts on frugal innovation strategies.

Across the world, the demands placed on health systems are growing rapidly. Developed countries face the challenge of providing services to an ageing population with changing health needs, while countries with developing health systems must find ways of ensuring their populations are provided with access to healthcare. Innovative thinking is essential to meet these twin challenges, but innovation is both a cause and cure of many struggles in healthcare — we need it, but it is hard to manage and the introduction of new technology can lead to higher costs. Using real-life examples and case studies from around the world, this book introduces the latest thinking on understanding and managing healthcare innovation more effectively. It does this from the perspective of governments responsible for shaping health policy, healthcare organisations providing services and juggling competing demands, and from the perspective of the industries that supply the new drugs, devices and other technologies. Managing Innovation in Healthcare is the perfect accompaniment for MSc, PhD and MBA students on health policy, management and public health courses, as well as managers, consultants and policy makers involved in healthcare services in both the public and private sector.

This text was developed as a book aimed at surgeons and allied health professionals that provides an introduction to the unmet needs , epidemiological, socioeconomic and even political factors that frame Global Surgery. Following upon an understanding of these issues, the text is a practical guide that enables the reader on several levels: to work cross culturally , build relationships and negotiate the logistical challenges of bringing surgical care to low resource settings; to develop an approach to the management of various clinical conditions that would be unfamiliar to most “western” surgeons. Global Surgery is a recently coined term that encompasses many potential meanings. Most would agree that it focuses on the growing recognition of the crisis of access to quality surgical care in low resource settings. Such scenarios exist on every continent. Increasingly surgeons, allied health professionals (NGO), Public Health / Health Policy professionals as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations are engaging in this field. Many surgeons have an interest in Global Health and a desire to become involved but feel ill equipped to do so and unsure where to start. Global Surgery: The Essentials serves as a ready resource to equip surgeons to manage clinical scenarios that lie beyond the scope of their training or current practice but that they would reasonably be expected to encounter in the field.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book investigates what international placements of healthcare employees in low resource settings add to the UK workforce and the efficacy of its national health system. The authors present empirical data collected from a volunteer deployment project in Uganda focused on reducing maternal and new-born mortality and discuss the learning and experiential outcomes for UK health care professionals acting as long term volunteers in low resource settings. They also develop a model for structured placement that offers optimal learning and experiential outcomes and minimizes risk, while shedding new light on the role that international placements play as part of continuing professional development both in the UK and in other sending countries.

This book explores in depth the phenomenon of user innovation in healthcare. In particular, the book sheds light on patient innovation, whereby patients and/or caregivers proactively develop and diffuse new products and services that provide health and quality of life benefits by addressing gaps in existing market offerings. The aim is to clarify the key characteristics of these innovative processes and to offer practitioners and policymakers tangible bottom-up evidence, solutions, and ideas that will assist in improving health systems, organizations, and practices. A number of important and interesting research questions are addressed, casting light on the types of products and services that tend to be developed by patient innovators, the typical profile of these innovators, the role played by firms, institutions, and health professionals, and the ways in which digital technologies support the dissemination of innovations among patient communities and within the industry. Beyond academic scholars and policymakers, the book will be of high value for students on master’s programs in both medical sciences and business and economics.