Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)
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Item Business model innovation for digital health entrepreneurship in primary healthcare in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Chindongo, DalitsoIntroduction and Background: The study investigates the real-life encounters of entrepreneurs in the digital health sector in South Africa, with a focus on their innovative approaches in improving primary healthcare services. It compares seven different digital health ventures (A - G), and explores the challenges related to accessing high quality healthcare, examining how incorporating digital health technologies (DHTs) and developing creative business models is improving Primary Healthcare services in South Africa. Research Problem and Objectives: The central research question examines how digital health entrepreneurs can enhance the accessibility and quality of healthcare services through innovative business models, thereby addressing the challenges identified in primary healthcare. Methodology: For this research a qualitative approach was taken, involving a multiple case study of the seven digital health ventures operating in South Africa. The data collection comprised semi-structured interviews with CEOs/Founders and performing document analysis. The Business Model Canvas and Systems Thinking frameworks were employed in analyzing the gathered data. Key Findings: Accessing Quality Healthcare Challenges: Digital health ventures are tackling geographical and socio-economic challenges through telehealth and mobile health (mHealth solutions). Real world experiences demonstrate how these digital health ventures connect healthcare professionals with specialists, enhancing access for rural and underserved areas that make use of Primary Healthcare services in South Africa. iii The focus is on personalized and community specific interventions that prioritize patient centered care adapted to local settings, going beyond the generic digital health tools analysed in existing literature on digital health entrepreneurship. The incorporation of Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) The digital health ventures demonstrate real world use cases of DHTs like using AI based analysis, for treatment and telehealth for monitoring from a distance. These uses are in line with. going beyond the knowledge found in current research on Digital Health. Research results illustrate the significance of customizing DHT implementations to address community requirements shedding light on the obstacles and possibilities of merging technologies, in various healthcare settings. Innovative Business Models: The digital health ventures employ unique and customized revenue models, such as subscription fees and strategic partnerships, that go beyond the generic models discussed in the literature. Case studies based on the digital health ventures, illustrate the practicalities of partnership models, showcasing collaborations with healthcare providers and public health organizations, which enhance the understanding of business model adaptability in the digital health ecosystem. Conclusions and Implications: The study concludes that innovating business models, in primary healthcare could transform healthcare services in South Africa. Digital health entrepreneurship not only improves primary healthcare outcomes, but also enhances patient engagement. The research also emphasizes the significance of forming partnerships, establishing sustainable revenue models, and implementing supportive policies to maximize the advantages of digital health solutions.Item A model for the acceptance and use of mHealth in South Africa: A UTAUT and TTF perspective(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Livhuwani Grace, Mongwe; Hughes, Mitchell; Kekwaletswe, RayScaling up high impact community based mHealth interventions is one of the agenda items mentioned in the National Digital Health Strategy of South Africa for the period 2019 -2024. Although many mHealth interventions have been explored, many of them end up in the pilot phase and do not reach full implementation. A common theme which was found as a possible driver of scalability is designing an mHealth application that considers usability and acceptability by users. The purpose of this study was to synthesize a model for the acceptance and use of mHealth in the South African health sector. A positivist research approach was used to test the adoption factors using the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Seven factors that could potentially impact the adoption of mHealth technology in South Africa were tested. The data for the study was collected through an online survey questionnaire which was shared through social media platforms. Results of this study were used to answer questions related to factors that have an impact on the adoption of mHealth applications in the health sector in South Africa. The study found that when adoption factors were combined into the UTAUT and TTF model, the only factor that was significant was facilitating conditions. The study findings in this regard were not consistent with other studies and it is therefore recommend that other scholars explore the reasons for these differences. The other factors were found to be significant when bivariate regression was used to compare the factors to the dependant variable of user acceptance and use of mHealth technology. The study further found that the combined model of Task Technology Fit has a positive impact on the adoption of mHealth technology in South Africa. The implication of the finding is that mHealth designers should build the functionalities of the innovation with the idea of making the task that the innovation supports easier to perform