Significance of Strategic Alliance in Research and Development of Digital Health Products for Diabetes (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoru Kikuchi ◽  
Kota Kodama ◽  
Shintaro Sengoku

BACKGROUND Digital health has been advancing owing to technological progress by means of smart devices and artificial intelligence, amongst other developments. In the field of diabetes, especially, there are many active use cases of digital technology supporting the treatment of diabetes and improving lifestyle. In the innovation ecosystem, new alliance networks are formed not only by medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies, but also by information and communications technology (ICT) companies and start-ups. While understanding and utilizing the network structure is important to increase the competitive advantage of companies, there is a lack of previous research describing the structure of alliance networks and the factors that lead to their formation in digital health. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the significance of alliance networks, focusing on digital health for diabetes, in effectively implementing processes, from the Research and Development (R&D) of products and/or services to their launch and market penetration. METHODS First, we listed the companies and contracts related to the digital health for diabetes, visualized the change in the number of companies and the connections between companies in each industry, and analyzed the overview of the network. Second, we calculated the degree, betweenness centrality, and eigenvector centrality of each company in each year. Next, we analyzed the relationship between network centrality and market competitiveness by using annual sales as a parameter of company competitiveness. We also compared the network centrality of each company by industry and/or headquarters location and analyze the characteristics of companies with higher centrality. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between network centrality and the number of products certified or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). RESULTS We found the degree centrality of companies was correlated with an increase in their sales; The betweenness and eigenvector centrality of medical device companies located in the U.S. were significantly higher than those outside the U.S; Finally, the degree, betweenness and eigenvector centralities were correlated with an increase in the number of Class III, but not of Class I nor II medical device products. CONCLUSIONS These findings give rise to new insights on the industry ecosystem for digital health and its requirement and expect a contribution to R&D practices in the field of digital health.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4839
Author(s):  
Satoru Kikuchi ◽  
Kota Kadama ◽  
Shintaro Sengoku

In recent years, technological progress in smart devices and artificial intelligence has also led to advancements in digital health. Digital health tools are especially prevalent in diabetes treatment and improving lifestyle. In digital health’s innovation ecosystem, new alliance networks are formed not only by medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies but also by information and communications technology (ICT) companies and start-ups. Therefore, while focusing on digital health for diabetes, this study explored the characteristics of companies with high network centralities. Our analysis of the changes in degree, betweenness, and eigenvector centralities of the sample companies from 2011 to 2020 found drastic changes in the company rankings of those with high network centrality during this period. Accordingly, the following eight companies were identified and investigated as the top-ranking technology sector companies: IBM Watson Health, Glooko, DarioHealth, Welldoc, OneDrop, Fitbit, Voluntis, and Noom. Lastly, we characterized these cases into three business models: (i) intermediary model, (ii) substitute model, and (iii) direct-to-consumer model, and we analyzed their customer value.


10.2196/19013 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e19013
Author(s):  
Zsombor Zrubka ◽  
Óscar Brito Fernandes ◽  
Petra Baji ◽  
Ottó Hajdu ◽  
Levente Kovacs ◽  
...  

Background Digital health, which encompasses the use of information and communications technology in support of health, is a key driving force behind the cultural transformation of medicine toward people-centeredness. Thus, eHealth literacy, assisted by innovative digital health solutions, may support better experiences of care. Objective The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between eHealth literacy and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) among users of outpatient care in Hungary. Methods In early 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey on a large representative online sample recruited from the Hungarian general population. eHealth literacy was measured with the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). PREMs with outpatient care were measured with a set of questions recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for respondents who attended outpatient visit within 12 months preceding the survey. Bivariate relationships were explored via polychoric correlation, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and chi-square test. To capture nonlinear associations, after controlling covariates, we analyzed the relationship between eHEALS quartiles and PREMs using multivariate probit, ordinary least squares, ordered logit, and logistic regression models. Results From 1000 survey respondents, 666 individuals (364 females, 54.7%) were included in the study with mean age of 48.9 (SD 17.6) years and mean eHEALS score of 29.3 (SD 4.9). Respondents with higher eHEALS scores were more likely to understand the health care professionals’ (HCPs’) explanations (χ29=24.2, P=.002) and to be involved in decision making about care and treatment (χ29=18.2, P=.03). In multivariate regression, respondents with lowest (first quartile) and moderately high (third quartile) eHEALS scores differed significantly, where the latter were more likely to have an overall positive experience (P=.02) and experience fewer problems (P=.02). In addition, those respondents had better experiences in terms of how easy it was to understand the HCPs’ explanations (P<.001) and being able to ask questions during their last consultation (P=.04). Patient-reported experiences of individuals with highest (fourth quartile) and lowest (first quartile) eHEALS levels did not differ significantly in any items of the PREM instrument, and neither did composite PREM scores generated from the PREM items (P>.05 in all models). Conclusions We demonstrated the association between eHealth literacy and PREMs. The potential patient-, physician-, and system-related factors explaining the negative experiences among people with highest levels of eHealth literacy warrant further investigation, which may contribute to the development of efficient eHealth literacy interventions. Further research is needed to establish causal relationship between eHealth literacy and patient-reported experiences.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 1595-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiola Bertolotti ◽  
Elisa Mattarelli ◽  
Janet Dukerich

How do knowledge workers interact with their colleagues when organizations increasingly ask them to work on multiple activities, projects and working spheres simultaneously? Given the importance of social networks for individual and organizational success, in this study we explore the relationship between individual preferences for engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously (individual polychronicity), the perception of the organization’s demands in terms of engaging in multiple tasks simultaneously (organizational polychronicity), and centrality in instrumental networks. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from knowledge professionals in a research and development (R&D) unit. Our results show that both individual and organizational polychronicity were related to network centrality. However, the effect of individual polychronicity on instrumental network centrality was stronger, especially for advice-related interactions, suggesting that individual preferences matter more when it comes to knowledge-related interactions. Not only do we link polychronicity to a previously unexplored context, that is, social networks, but we also propose the use of a cultural toolkit perspective to explain how individuals differentially make sense of organizational temporal demands. Finally, we advance research on the antecedents of network centrality and contribute to the ongoing debate on the delicate balance between structure and individual characteristics.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsombor Zrubka ◽  
Óscar Brito Fernandes ◽  
Petra Baji ◽  
Ottó Hajdu ◽  
Levente Kovacs ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Digital health, which encompasses the use of information and communications technology in support of health, is a key driving force behind the cultural transformation of medicine toward people-centeredness. Thus, eHealth literacy, assisted by innovative digital health solutions, may support better experiences of care. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between eHealth literacy and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) among users of outpatient care in Hungary. METHODS In early 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey on a large representative online sample recruited from the Hungarian general population. eHealth literacy was measured with the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). PREMs with outpatient care were measured with a set of questions recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for respondents who attended outpatient visit within 12 months preceding the survey. Bivariate relationships were explored via polychoric correlation, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and chi-square test. To capture nonlinear associations, after controlling covariates, we analyzed the relationship between eHEALS quartiles and PREMs using multivariate probit, ordinary least squares, ordered logit, and logistic regression models. RESULTS From 1000 survey respondents, 666 individuals (364 females, 54.7%) were included in the study with mean age of 48.9 (SD 17.6) years and mean eHEALS score of 29.3 (SD 4.9). Respondents with higher eHEALS scores were more likely to understand the health care professionals’ (HCPs’) explanations (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>9</sub>=24.2, <i>P</i>=.002) and to be involved in decision making about care and treatment (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup><sub>9</sub>=18.2, <i>P</i>=.03). In multivariate regression, respondents with lowest (first quartile) and moderately high (third quartile) eHEALS scores differed significantly, where the latter were more likely to have an overall positive experience (<i>P</i>=.02) and experience fewer problems (<i>P</i>=.02). In addition, those respondents had better experiences in terms of how easy it was to understand the HCPs’ explanations (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) and being able to ask questions during their last consultation (<i>P</i>=.04). Patient-reported experiences of individuals with highest (fourth quartile) and lowest (first quartile) eHEALS levels did not differ significantly in any items of the PREM instrument, and neither did composite PREM scores generated from the PREM items (<i>P</i>&gt;.05 in all models). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the association between eHealth literacy and PREMs. The potential patient-, physician-, and system-related factors explaining the negative experiences among people with highest levels of eHealth literacy warrant further investigation, which may contribute to the development of efficient eHealth literacy interventions. Further research is needed to establish causal relationship between eHealth literacy and patient-reported experiences.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1/2020) ◽  
pp. 11-31
Author(s):  
Mladen Lisanin

The paper examines the changing relations between the U.S. and Russia since the end of the twentieth century, shaped by the experience of NATO’s war with Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over Kosovo. The first decade after the termination of the Cold War brought about the American ‘unipolar moment’, and with it the attempt of Russian political elites to approach the unipole and find a sustainable modus vivendi with it: the relationship between Yeltsin and Clinton administrations is a vivid example of such endeavors. At the same time, policies such as NATO expansion induced suspicion on the Russian side with regard to the possibilities of achieving an understanding and allowing Russia to become a legitimate part of European security architecture. When, in March of 1999, NATO began with the attacks against FRY (a country perceived as traditionally friendly towards Russia) without the consent of the United Nations Security Council, a long shadow was cast over the prospects of a Russian – American rapprochement. All subsequent episodes of cooperation and competition between Russia and the U.S. have been observed through the lens shaped by the Kosovo war. Drawing from contemporary Russian and western academic literature and memoir materials (Primakov, Guskova, Narochnitska, Baranovsky, Tsygankov, Sushenkov; Wohlforth, Walt, Clarke, Hill, Galen Carpenter et al.) and building upon the traditional realist concepts of great power competition and balancing, the author assesses the development of U.S.-Russian security relations in the context the Kosovo war experience. It is argued that, in addition to being an attack against a country perceived as a traditional Russian friend or protégé, NATO bombing of FRY in 1999 posed a major concern to Russia because it was a signal that the alliance was ready to change its strategic posture and engage in out-of-area operations.


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