TOO FAR TO WALK

Short List
TitleTOO FAR TO WALK
BrandHEALCERION
Product / ServicePREPAID SYSTEM FOR SONON, MOBILE ULTRASOUND DEVICE
CategoryA05. Business Transformation
EntrantINNORED Seoul, SOUTH KOREA
Idea Creation INNORED Seoul, SOUTH KOREA
Media Placement INNORED Seoul, SOUTH KOREA
Production PAULUS.CO Seoul, SOUTH KOREA

Credits

Name Company Position
ALL INNORED ASSOCIATES INNORED CREATORS
Kyungsin Kim PAULUS PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Eui Seon Chang PAULUS PRODUCTION DOP
Saffaan Qadir PAULUS PRODUCTION SCRIPT WRITER
Younggu Park PAULUS PRODUCTION PRODUCER
Dahoon Chung PAULUS PRODUCTION PROJECT ASSISTANT
Eui Young Song PAULUS Production Graphic Designer
Handong Ryu PAULUS Production Camera Assistant
Yuk Yeb JUN PAULUS PRODUCTION TRANSLATOR
Kyoung Kyun Oh PAULUS PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
FORHAD UDDIN PAULUS PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Why is this work relevant for Innovation?

To decrease maternal mortality rate, Healcerion created the world’s first mobile ultrasound device that is much lighter and cheaper than the established ultrasound machine. But, the usage of SONON in the global south is less than 10% compared to developed countries, because the cost is yet too expensive. After analyzing the locals, Healcerion developed the ground-breaking 'Prepaid system,' which rents out the device for free and lets the consumers purchase vouchers based on their usage. The revolutionary system would spread SONON across the global south, brining positive impact on how Healcerion’s business operates, and allowing mothers to have ultrasound checkup.

Background

99% of maternal deaths occur in the global south due to lack of antenatal care, since pregnant women living in remote areas have limited access to healthcare facilities. To help reduce the maternal mortality rate, Healcerion created SONON, a mobile ultrasound device that can be controlled remotely via smartphone. However, the usage of SONON in the global south does not reach 10% of the usage of developed countries due to the financial burden of health workers. In order to increase SONON usage in the global south, Healcerion introduced an innovative solution: the 'Prepaid system,' the revolutionary system in the medical fields, which allows health workers to pay for SONON based on their usage.

Describe the idea

The usage rate of SONON, the groundbreaking device used all around the world, is still severely low in the global south. The health workers stated that SONON’s expensive cost serves as the high purchase barrier, even though it is ten times cheaper than the ultrasound machine used in hospitals. To lower the purchase barrier, we interviewed local health workers and found some insight we can implement. By observing that people purchase phone cards based on the time usage they need, we came up with the system that provides health workers with Healcerion device for free and lets them purchase the ultrasound voucher each time they need it. Also, we distributed the vouchers at local grocery stores according to the purchase pattern of the locals, who buy small portions of daily supplies from nearby grocery shops.

What were the key dates in the development process?

The mobile ultrasound diagnostic device and the ultrasound diagnostic mobile application are up and running, and the 'Prepaid system,' including its billing structure and server, is on its way, currently under development. 1) December 2019 – Billing system and server development complete 2) January 2020 – Beta test-launching / Apply for license 3) July 2020 – 'Prepaid system' launch starting from countries with registered license

Describe the innovation/technology

SONON, the mobile ultrasound diagnostic device created by Healcerion, is operated by connecting to the linked ultrasound diagnostic mobile application on smartphone/tablet. The health workers purchase the vouchers with QR codes based on their needs. The ultrasound diagnostic mobile application scans the balance on the voucher, then lets the consumers use SONON according to their purchased usage time. The ultrasound diagnosis is easily carried out on smartphone/tablet through touch screen interface technology. Since the consumers, who use SONON and its 'Prepaid system,' need basic knowledge of anatomy, instruction, and experience, Healcerion aims to help establish local communities that can operate the system themselves by educating the health workers with appropriate knowledge and instruction manual. Currently, SONON and its diagnostic mobile application are used in 40 countries, including countries of the global south, and the prepaid service is expected to be launched in January 2020.

Describe the expectations/outcome

As of now, SONON has come into wide use in 40 countries including 20 countries from the global south. It is supplied in 20 communes Health Centers in Vietnam with KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency). Through UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Service), 14 SONON devices were supplied in Ghana. SONON’s innovative technology drew the Korean government’s attention and was officially designated as the ‘Creative Technology Solution’ by KOICA. BY 2020, 2,500 SONON devices will be made available in more than 59 countries from the global south. This is approximately 7.5 times more than today’s supplies. Healcerion consistently contacted various NGO’s in the whole world, just like what Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did. If the health facility delivery were to be more encouraged as Healcerion’s 'Prepaid system' allows wider distribution of SONON, the maternal mortality rate in the global south would be expected to decrease by more than 10%.

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