Browsing by Author "Herman, Hilde"

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    The design and development of technology platforms in a developing country healthcare context from an ecosystem perspective
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2020-03-12) Herman, Hilde; Grobbelaar, Sara S.; Pistorius, Calie
    Background: Research on the development and functioning of technology platforms specifically for health applications in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is limited. The healthcare sector has also been resistant to platform adoption due to characteristics such as sensitive data and high cost of failure. A framework for the design, development and implementation of technology platforms in the South African health context could therefore contribute to the gap in research as well as provide a practical tool that platform owners could use to potentially increase the adoption of platforms in this context. Methods: The research design for this study was based on the Grounded Theory Conceptual Framework Analysis process. The process focused on mapping and investigating data sources, categorising and integrating concepts, synthesising these concepts into a framework and iteratively evaluating the framework. The first stage of the evaluation process was a preliminary evaluation exploring an existing Health platform in South Africa (MomConnect). The second evaluation stage included local and international interviews with nine experts to identify any missing concepts in the framework. Stage three included a case study and case study interviews which led to the formulation of the final framework and management tool. Results: The developed and evaluated framework comprised three components, namely the pre-use component, which includes considerations the platform owner should be aware of prior to using the framework. The framework comprises of two dimensions, 1) an ecosystem dimension to guide the platform owner to consider different ecosystem actors before embarking on designing a platform 2) a platform development dimension that include typical platform development components and presents an interpretation of the viewpoints included in the ecosystem levels. Conclusions: The final framework can be used by platform owners as a management tool. A unique contribution of this study is that the framework draws from two platform perspectives, namely the engineering and the economic perspectives to provide a holistic understanding of platforms. Finally, a contribution of this article is the tailoring of the framework for the South African health context.
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    A framework for the design, development and implementation of technology platforms in the South African health context
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Herman, Hilde; Grobbelaar, Sara; Pistorius, Carl Wilhelm Irene; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Healthcare in South Africa is in dire need of effective and sustainable solutions. Low life expectancy, high maternal and neonatal mortality, the impact of HIV and increasing non-communicable diseases are compounded by the limited availability of skilled healthcare professionals. Initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals aim to address these issues by working towards good health and wellbeing particularly in developing countries. Technology platforms can provide much-needed solutions to these above-mentioned issues. Ways in which such platforms can provide solutions include the ability to communicate information, remotely monitor patients, collect and analyse data and enable personalised medicine. Therefore, technology platforms could potentially be a valuable asset in the mission to improve healthcare in developing countries such as South Africa. However, the healthcare sector has been resistant to platform adoption due to characteristics such as sensitive data and high cost of failure. Research has confirmed the differences in platform implementation across countries, but a focus on implementation in the context of developing countries such as South Africa is limited. A framework for the design, development and implementation of technology platforms in the South African health context could therefore contribute to the gap in research as well as provide a practical tool that platform owners could use to potentially increase the adoption of platforms in this context. This study aimed to develop a framework that can be used in the design, development and implementation of technology platforms in the South African health context. In order develop the framework, the researcher developed eight research objectives that were grouped into two main phases. The first phase included the framework development, while the second comprised the framework evaluation, specifically within the South African health context. Subsequently, a suitable research design was developed and implemented that enabled the researcher to meet the project objectives. The research design for this study was based on the Grounded Theory Conceptual Framework Analysis process developed by Jabareen (2009). The process focused on mapping and investigating data sources, categorising and integrating concepts, synthesising these concepts into a framework and iteratively evaluating the framework. The research design comprised four overarching parts that aligned with the Conceptual Framework Analysis process. The first part of the research design aimed to establish the context and aims of the study. Thereafter the focus shifted to formulating the preliminary framework and its subsequent progressive evaluation process. The concluding part of the study presented and discussed the final framework and management tool. The first step in the research included a systematic literature review to develop an overall picture of the relevant research and identify possible gaps. This included identifying the key concepts related to technology platforms in innovation ecosystems as well as the multidisciplinary nature of this research. As a part of the systematic literature review results, the void of related research in Africa, challenges for platform owners, the three different platform ecosystem actors as well as several guiding principles were uncovered. Subsequently, a conceptual literature review was done to further investigate key concepts and ideas. This included an understanding of the ecosystem metaphor and thirteen fundamental characteristics of platforms and ecosystems. The context in which such a platform ecosystem would operate was investigated in terms of the ecosystem actors and the South African health context. The literature review also included the investigation and analysis of existing frameworks, models and tools (FMTs) related to platform design and platform and ecosystem management. The FMTs provided much-needed insight into the structure, use and layout of the proposed framework and highlighted gaps in these existing FMTs currently available to platform owners. The preliminary framework, constructed as a result of the systematic and conceptual literature reviews, had to be evaluated. The evaluation process comprised three components, namely a theoretical case study, semi-structured interviews and an industry-based case study. Subsequent to each of these components, the framework was modified and adapted. The components of the evaluation process also accounted for significant insights into the South African health context. As a result of the evaluation process, the final framework was developed. The final framework can be used by platform owners as a management tool. This tool comprises six canvasses: (1) Pre-use Canvas, (2) Overview Canvas, (3) Platform Owner Canvas, (4) Developer Canvas, (5) End-user Canvas and (6) Platform Development Canvas. These canvasses are divided into two dimensions, namely an ecosystem dimension and a platform development dimension. The ecosystem dimension includes a canvas for each of the three platform ecosystem actors. These ecosystem canvasses provide insights and questions regarding each of the ecosystem actors. The Platform Development Canvas aims to lead the platform owner into action and guides the platform development process. This Canvas comprises five parts, namely the platform core, the desired ecosystem and environment, the design of the platform and governance, the managing and operation and evolution of the platform and ecosystem. The framework and tool make a contribution to research. The framework was designed to be a practical tool with a user-centric focus. The framework therefore provides a platform owner with insight into the ecosystem actors and practical elements to design and manage the platform and ecosystem. The framework was also developed taking into account typical challenges that a platform owner would face. Another unique contribution is that the framework draws from two platform perspectives, namely the engineering and the economic perspectives. These perspectives are mostly viewed in isolation despite the fact that when combined, they provide a more holistic understanding of platforms. The final contribution is the tailoring of the framework for the South African health context. Particularly the End-user Ecosystem Canvas transformed significantly throughout the evaluation phases to suit the South African health context. The final framework and tool therefore met the project objectives. The framework should however continuously evolve to remain relevant and usable to platform owners and to sustain its use as a tool to facilitate the adoption of technology platforms in the South African health context.