Nine companies contribute towards inclusive provision of telehealth services in Colombia
Istanbul, February 8, 2022: A cohort of nine impact businesses will be presenting solutions on delivering tech-based healthcare solutions to underserved and vulnerable populations on February 11 as part of a UNDP programme on inclusive innovation.
This programme is part of UNDP-BCtA Inclusive Innovation Journey in Colombia, in partnership with MiLAB, the govtech laboratory operated by iNNpulsa Colombia. The programme seeks to advance business solutions for local development challenges and connect them to local government bodies that need innovative, tech-driven solutions to reach underserved populations.
All interested individuals are invited to join the virtual launch of this pioneering programme and hear from the teams behind the exciting and innovative telehealth solutions that will benefit vulnerable communities! The event will be broadcast live on Facebook at this link on Friday, February 11 at 8am EST/Colombia time
Innovative solutions for vulnerable, rural and low-income populations
A call for applications was launched in late December seeking business solutions for telehealth service delivery for maternal, natal and pre-natal care in Colombia.
The solutions selected include: Hybrid healthcare delivery in remote areas based in real or deferred time that can be used with populations who have limited internet access; AI-based systems that creates efficiencies in managing patients and streamlining administrative processes; technological devices with virtual connection abilities to transmit data in real time for high quality exams; virtual pre- and post-hospital visit check-ups; virtual education platforms and courses delivered by healthcare professionals that can prevent complications during pregnancy; an integrated platform that brings together multiple stakeholders from insurers to patients in ensuring healthy pregnancies and deliveries; immediate availability of consultations through easy-to-use and affordable technology; and the ability to choose and speak to speciality healthcare providers virtually.
The selected cohort will now participate in the next leg of the programme which will include a training programme, mentorship and networking opportunities with public entities and companies in the health sector, a chance to meet with potential stakeholders and the option to connect with local public entities to scale their business model.
Why telehealth?
The telehealth sector was recognized as an area of focus due to the increased demand of telehealth services caused by COVID-19 and the need to improve the quality and coverage of such services across the country. This was determined through a field study by the firm Haptica alongside the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, which oversees Colombia’s National Telehealth Plan.
As per the study, 90% of Colombian households were classified as Base of the Pyramid with incomes less than 4 million COP per month. Many such individuals, due to lack of financial resources, had trouble in accessing healthcare, particularly specialized care.
The study noted that telemedicine had significant benefits in access to healthcare for vulnerable populations through reduced costs and consultation times, increase in productivity of health specialists and led to wider adoption of preventative healthcare.
Despite seeing an increase in telehealth services, which before the pandemic stood at only 50,000 consultations and jumped to 3.81 million per month from March 2020 to March 2021 according to MinSalud, it was observed that a significant gap remained in the reach of telehealth services to rural and poor populations.
This was due to many reasons, but some major barriers included access to internet and tools like phones and computers. For example, access to computers stands at around 11% in rural Colombia and the percentage of households with access to internet lies at just 56.5% in the entire country. Moreover, from the providers side, amongst infrastructural barriers like connectivity, it was also noted that healthcare providers lacked telemedicine training and until just a few years ago even security or data protection protocols were not in place or available.
The Inclusive Innovation Journey and the nine solutions that have been selected as part of this programme in Colombia aim to bridge such divides and work towards more inclusive delivery of telehealth services.
For more information please contact: bcta@undp.org and info@innpulsacolombia.com