How might we use unconventional methods to measure the improvement of primary health care performance in low- and middle-income countries?

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: August 9, 2022, 8:00 PM EDT

The Opportunity

MIT Solve, in collaboration with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks solutions that will offer new ways of measuring primary health care performance improvement in low- and middle-income countries. To that end, this Challenge seeks novel and improved methods that:

• Employ unconventional or proxy data sources to inform primary health care performance improvement;
• Provide improved measurement methods that are low cost, fit-for-purpose, shareable across information systems, and streamlined for data collectors;
• Leverage existing systems, networks, and workflows to streamline the collection and interpretation of data to support meaningful use of primary health care data;
• Provide actionable, accountable, and accessible insights for health care providers, administrators, and/or funders that can be used to optimize the performance of primary health care; and
• Balance the opportunity for frontline health workers to participate in performance improvement efforts with their primary responsibility as care providers.

This Challenge seeks solutions that stand to advance the way that primary health care performance improvement happens in low- and middle-income countries. In order to ensure that selected solutions are appropriate and practical for use in these countries, the Challenge does not seek solutions that:

• Require a high level of connectivity or bandwidth;
• Have been primarily designed for use in high-income countries; and/or
• Focus only on data collection. 

The Context

Primary health care is a cornerstone of health care systems across the globe. The majority of a person’s health needs—physical, mental, and social—are addressed by primary health care. Primary health care attends not only to individuals and families but also to the overall well-being of communities and their populations.

Despite its foundational role in communities everywhere, primary health care remains out of reach for millions of people, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Barriers such as high cost, lack of access, insufficient availability, and inconsistent quality of care hold back people from living healthy and productive lives. 

Improvements to primary health care are already happening in transformational ways: people are living longer; funding and incentives for high-quality care are on the rise; training and development for health care workers has renewed focus; and access to preventive health care and immunizations are improving patient health outcomes.

While performance improvement systems vary around the world, key indicators for measuring primary health care performance improvement are on hand. Despite having strong measurement standards, limitations in how performance measurement occurs are common.

These include:

• Lack of comprehensive vision and purpose for data collection;
• Poor quality or impractical data;
• Measurement that primarily informs funders rather than practical performance improvements;
• Inconsistent connectivity and adoption of real-time digital tools;
• Information or data systems that do not communicate with others;
• Burden of data collection being borne by frontline health workers; and
• Systems lack feedback mechanisms for data collectors themselves.

For progress to continue, diverse health care stakeholders, including patients, frontline health workers, policymakers, and everyone in between, need the means to understand what’s working well and where further improvements are needed. While key indicators to measure the improvement of primary health care performance already exist, improvements and innovation are still urgently needed.  

Judging Criteria

Judges evaluate submitted solutions using the following criteria. Judges assign a numerical score for each criterion from which an average score for each solution is calculated. Each criterion has equal weight. After solutions have been evaluated, a ranked-list of solutions is then created for further consideration by the Judges. Judges deliberate twice: once to select finalists and again to select winners.

• Alignment: The solution uses technology to address the Prize.
• Potential for Impact: The planned solution implementation has the potential to impact the intended population.
• Feasibility: The team has a realistic, practical plan for implementing the solution, and it is feasible in the given context.
• Innovative Approach: The solution includes a new technology, a new application of technology, a new business model, or a new process for solving the Prize.
• Inclusive Human-Centered Design: The solution is designed with and for underserved communities, and the solution team demonstrates proximity to the community and embodies and addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion through their solution.
• Scalability: The solution has a plan for financial viability and the potential to be scaled to affect the lives of more people.

Prize & Eligibility

A total of $500,000 is available for up to eight selected solutions. Of the $500,000 in funding, $100,000 is available for up to four early-stage solutions and $400,000 is available for up to four growth-stage solutions. 

Solutions should be appropriately designed for use in low- and middle-income countries. 

Early-stage solutions include:

• Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea. 
• Prototype: A solution or organization that is building and testing its product, service, or business model. If for-profit, a new company getting off the ground that has raised little or no institutional capital (less than $500,000) in pre-seed fundraising.
• Pilot: A solution or organization that is deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community. If for-profit, a young company that is working to gain traction and that has raised less than $2 million in institutional capital in seed funding.

Growth stage solutions include:

• Growth: A solution or organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth in multiple communities or countries. If for-profit, an early-stage company that has established a track record and is seeking to raise a round of roughly $2 million to $15 million in institutional capital in a Series A or potentially B round.
• Scale: A solution or organization that is working in several communities or countries. It is looking to scale significantly, focusing on increased efficiency. If for-profit, a successful company that is scaling its operations and seeks to raise a round of more than $15 million in institutional capital.

SUBMIT A SOLUTION

To see examples, other resources or find out more click here.

Want to learn more about this Challenge? Sign up to receive email updates here.