Innovative technologies require innovative business models: Experience from MDConsults
Global Summit on Telemedicine & eHealth
August 17-18, 2015 Houston, USA

Shariq Khoja1, Dodo Khan2, Maria Arif2, Nida Husyin2, S Haider Rizvi2 and Asif Channa2

1Tech4Life Enterprise, Canada 2Tech4Life Enterprises, Pakistan

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

MDConsults is a highly innovative mobile-Telemedicine solution, especially designed for reaching low income remote populations in the emerging countries. The solution is designed to provide web and mobile based access to store-and forward and live consultations, enabling frontline health workers to use telemedicine consultations for the communities they serve. To ensure accessibility and affordability of MDConsults to Frontline health workers, a highly innovative business model was designed which allowed the hospitals and larger health organizations to buy licenses for providing telemedicine consultations to primary health providers. These licenses are sold in the denominations of 10 users. With each 10 user license, the institutions get 100 mobile telemedicine licenses free for distribution to frontline health workers and primary care providers. This allows the institutions to form a large telemedicine network from the communities to the hospitals. The solution is also available free of cost for download by the community members, allowing them to manage their own health and also request telemedicine consultations with their doctors. Because of the highly innovative business model, MDConsults has already been adopted by institutions in six countries, while institutions in 10 other countries are testing the solution for implementation. These countries mainly include emerging nations from Asia, Africa and South America. This highly innovative telemedicine solution, MDConsults, required an innovative business model to ensure that the applications reach health workers for connecting with the specialists which allows better access to care for the communities at a very affordable cost.

Biography :

Shariq Khoja is an innovator and high profile leader in the area of eHealth and mHealth. He has experience of over 20 years leading Health systems initiatives focusing on the use of robust, relevant and affordable eHealth solutions in developing countries. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary and Aga Khan University. He has got 10 patents to his name and written over 50 papers and several book chapters. He is currently the CEO of Tech4Life Enterprises, providing Telemedicine and Point of Care technologies to the developing world.

Email: khojashariq@gmail.com