Alignment of digital health value propositions to business models in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Orientation: Digital health delivers value in the form of efficiency, efficacy and transformation by automation and strengthening of global health care systems, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) health care systems still experience an evident misalignment between their business models (BMs) and digital health value propositions. As a result, digital health interventions (DHI) are duplicated for similar purposes; several pilot projects hardly reach country-wide implementation and health security remains unattainable, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. Research purpose: The study aims to conduct a scoping review highlighting how the value-add propositions of DHI could align with health care system BMs in SSA. Motivation for the study: The study was informed by the need to address the impact of health care business models on adopting Digital Health and advanced Industry 4.0 technologies for Health Security in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) context. Research design, approach and method: The paper followed Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage scoping review guide to identify publications on the value propositions of DHI in health care systems of SSA. Main findings: There is limited scholarly work focused on how sub-Saharan African health care system BMs cater to DHI in relation to the fast-paced advancements in technology. Drivers of value-add creation, inhibitors of digital health value capture and the requirements of BMs that support the value propositions offered by DHI were discussed. Practical/managerial implications: Findings can assist health managers to redirect the trajectory of integrating digital health value propositions interventions in SSA health care systems towards redressing recurrent challenges that inhibit technology adoption. Contribution/value-add: The paper highlights how the value-add propositions of digital health should be aligned to BMs of health care systems in SSA to ensure duplications are addressed and provide a move towards wide-scale implementations.