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Exploring scalable healthcare delivery models

 

Philips Foundation supports healthcare delivery models that provide scalable, financially sustainable, and affordable healthcare in low- and middle-income regions.

 

Digital technologies and data offer enormous potential to transform healthcare for better medical outcomes. Underserved areas present opportunities for social enterprises to step in, scale their operations and ultimately reduce dependence on donations and grants. Philips Foundation aims to increase the probability of lasting healthcare access by supporting social entrepreneurs who strive to create positive social impact.

 

Explore related projects in our Knowledge Hub


 

Our approach

 

Philips Foundation aims to increase the probability of lasting healthcare access by supporting social enterprises or scalable initiatives that have proven their impact. We join forces with social enterprises to advance digital health models for sustainable healthcare system strengthening.

 

Digital technologies can transform healthcare and improve medical outcomes, and an entrepreneurial approach reduces dependency on donations and grants. Next to the entrepreneurial approach, success and long-term sustainability are advanced by sustainable business models that go hand in hand with impact.

 

Below are some of our projects exploring scalable solutions.

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Across Africa, there is a shortage of well-trained health professionals, which limits opportunities to improve quality, reduce costs or put patients first. Quality healthcare is hard to find as a result, leaving patients with little confidence in the public health system. Even today, many people go to a pharmacy rather than a clinic to seek medical advice when they have problems.

 

Penda Health wants to bridge the gap by offering quality healthcare at an affordable price to as many people as possible. Technology is both the enabler and the customer attractor of Penda Health. A fully digitized, paperless electronic medical record system serving as the basis for all patient interaction, data storage and quality assurance. The aim is to standardize care, with less variability in advice and results between doctors. This should generate confidence in the quality of the care and enable scaling of their operations.

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They enable community health workers to become small entrepreneurs, sell essential medicines and hygiene products, and disseminate information while performing basic consultations on patients.

 

Healthy Entrepreneurs’ model is based on professional procurement of commodities in bulk to keep the prices as low as possible. Together with Philips Foundation, Healthy Entrepreneurs explored a model to expand their services with diagnostic tools. Inconnection with a “doctor at a distance” telehealth model for more complex consults and follow-ups, 50 community health workers were empowered through an app-based platform for collaboration and data sharing.

 

The model has proven to work well. It increases disease awareness, expands access to healthcare services, and lowers patients’ healthcare costs while generating an income for the participating community health workers. For some, the extra income allowed them to quit side jobs or pay for their children’s school fees. With 6,000 franchise holders already in Uganda, the model is growing fast and expanding to hard-to-reach areas in other countries.

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Young children are particularly susceptible to the effects of air pollution, being early in their development. Polluted air can cause health problems, including irreversible damage to lung function, worsening respiratory issues and asthma. Philips Foundation and GAP consider it essential to protect the health of children against air pollution, so they have the best opportunities in life, and new generations are healthy and protected against future health crises.

 

In 2022 we will report on the results of the project in Spain, which includes workshops for students to learn more about air pollution and a clean air plan for the school led by teachers, as well as the possibility of scaling up the project to other air-polluted regions in Europe.

knowledge hub

Sharing our experience to establish sustainable healthcare for underserved communities

 

Our access to the expertise and capabilities available at Philips, combined with those of our partners, allows us to adopt original and distinctive approaches and to explore and disseminate them in a scientific manner. With our exploratory approach, Philips Foundation is a learning organization, and at the same time, a platform for knowledge dissemination.

 

Click here for the full repository of our projects

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