Service roadmapping of Smart Care solutions

Abstract

The implementation of digital innovations is becoming vital in the provision of healthcare. Only this way, issues concerning employee decline and increased demand for care can be tackled. Furthermore, it is seen as the key towards Person Centered Care, a concept where patients and health professionals act as partners. Many digital multi user innovations have already been developed to a conceptual level. However, the cohesion between these concepts and their future potential is yet under researched. This projects aims to investigate both, with a new service model and service roadmap as a result. A service roadmap can be seen as a future timeline for the service model and its supporting elements. The project tried to answer the following research question: ‘How can service roadmapping enable an integrated service delivery using digital healthcare innovations?’ Orthopedic care was used as a case study for this research, based on 41 concept demonstrators aimed at improving the orthopedic care journey. To answer the research question, a concept demonstrator analysis was performed, focusing on function, user and technology. This analysis showed that most concept demonstrators contained a service model focusing on achieving patient self-management, by obtaining insight, in the form of an app-wearable combination. The user analysis showed that the patient, General Practitioner, Orthopedic surgeon and the Physiotherapist should be the multi user group. And finally, the technology analysis showed a need for technological enhancements in the concept demonstrator setup. Next to the concept research, research on the Orthopedic care context was performed, with special interest in treating hip Osteoarthritis. The research was focused on stakeholder explorations; both desk research and performing interviews in the field. Next to that, a trend research in both the socio-cultural and technological area was performed. This research highlighted the need for a shared learning aspect; both for the service users and the service itself. Furthermore, a need for enhanced personalisation, information and communication was found, with the preservation of the ‘human’ aspect. Based on this research as a whole, a selection of 13 concept features from the concept demonstrators was done. These form the basis of the service model. It consists of an patient app, on body wearable and a plugin for health professionals, making it a multi user service. The service model will focus on providing information and feedback to all users in a personalised manner, about the patient status within the Osteoarthritis treatment. Furthermore, it allows for digital communication to occur. Future adjustments are primarily focused on improving the back end of the service, by adopting shared learning with help of Artificial Intelligence. Ultimately, patient and health professional become partners in the Osteoarthritis treatment. To summarize both the drivers for innovation, the service model setup and the back-end enablers in the context of time, a service roadmap was developed. This roadmap can be used by the Smart Care Lab of the TU Delft to start further dialogue with stakeholders in orthopedic care, as well as a starting point for new research projects.