Open IDEO Challenge: Health Economics for Time Bound Cancer Screening

Type: Collaborative research sprint 
Timeframe: 3 days during the summer of ‘21 (revisited and continued)
Team: Meru Vashisht, Samyuktha Sam

Our Roles: Research and rapid idea generation
Purpose: Meru and I decided we wanted to squeeze some creative juices out with an Open IDEO Challenge during the summer of ‘21. For me it was also an opportunity to work closely with a mentor and a friend!

The Open IDEO Challenge

More than half of all cancer deaths are entirely preventable. What if more people could avoid or survive cancer through another means—by empowering them to take charge of their health?

Index

PART 1
Rapid Research

This project was taken up as a means to warm-up and hone that design sprint muscle within us where we spent 2 days to dive broadly into the health care system around cancer care and then convened to work around the data we had gathered on day 3.

We took the brief and decided that we wanted the user focus to be on the rural woxmen population of India to further narrow down the scope.

This is what we found with our secondary research

  • “Cancer is the second most common malignancy among Indian women and the most common among women in rural India”.
    [source]

  • “Simple screening tests such as visual inspection are effective in detecting precancerous lesions of the cervix. These tests can be performed by community health-care workers and paramedical staff and are inexpensive. Despite the availability of these tests, the screening rate in India is extremely low” [source]

CDC Foundation found that how empowered people feel directly affects how proactive they become, as influenced by their histories of disempowerment, trauma, race, class, and education. As such, more marginalized communities suffer worse outcomes, financial hardships, and deaths from cancer. [source]

PART 2
“How Might We”

We had the option to design for one of these few stages of care- prevention, treatment or end of life scare and we chose to focus on education and prevention.

How might we make preventive health the norm in rural India?

But we didn’t want this project to just be about early detection or timely diagnosis for cancer. We sensed this might be scope creep to extend it beyond just cancer prevention and screening, but didn’t hold back and allowed for the scope to creep! We wanted this project to use the best of behavior change to enable an individual to have a healthy mindset. We looked for different themes and tools to allow for this like creating social proof systems, automation and even looked at the economic systems around health in India.

PART 3
The Solution

In this healthcare initiative designed for rural communities in India, individuals initiate the process by saving a small portion of their income into a dedicated health fund. To unlock additional benefits, participants must activate incentives by visiting a cancer screening center. The program emphasizes age-specific screening, encouraging women aged 45 to 54 to undergo annual mammograms, while those aged 55 and older have the flexibility to choose between biennial or yearly screenings.

Early detection of cancer during screenings grants individuals access to free treatment for up to one year. The utilization of the health fund is contingent upon fulfilling the screening requirements. This cycle fosters ongoing health awareness and preventive measures, allowing participants to continue contributing to their health fund and promoting a sustainable approach to healthcare in rural India.

This is the process we defined for the solution—

Having the idea be scalable in a country as large as India and focused on the health access and sustainability of the scheme was important. This is how we see it play out-

Scalability

The model is designed for scalability by leveraging existing infrastructure for financial transactions and establishing partnerships with cancer screening centers, making it adaptable to various regions and populations.

Accessibility

The concept ensures accessibility by integrating health savings into the existing financial practices of individuals in rural India, making it easy for them to participate in the program.

Flexibility & Usability

The program offers flexibility through age-specific screening recommendations, accommodating the diverse needs of participants and allowing for personalized health management.

User-friendly processes, such as regular savings and clear screening guidelines, enhance the usability of the idea, promoting widespread adoption and compliance.

Based on this we came up with a set of recommendations for the Ministry of Health in India

Community Engagement and Education

Conduct targeted awareness programs on the importance of cancer screenings in rural communities, using local influencers for effective communication.

Accessible Screening
Centers

Expand screening centers in rural areas and deploy mobile health units for wider coverage, especially in remote locations.

Incentive Structure Enhancement

Review and improve incentive structures to motivate consistent and timely screenings, potentially offering additional benefits for participant engagement.

Mobile Health Units

Implement mobile health units for cancer screenings in remote areas to ensure broader accessibility.

Public Awareness Campaigns

Launch extensive media campaigns emphasizing the life-saving potential of early cancer detection through the initiative.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Establish a robust system to monitor screening rates, early detections, and health fund utilization for continuous program improvement.

Continuous Stakeholder Communication

Maintain transparent communication with stakeholders, sharing updates and success stories to foster ownership.

Policy Integration

Align the initiative with national healthcare policies to ensure its sustainability and integration into broader healthcare strategies.

Partnerships with Private Sector

Explore partnerships with private healthcare providers to enhance infrastructure and innovation

PART 4
Project Reflections

Keeping My Eyes on the Prize: Sprints forced me to stay laser-focused on our research goals. Each phase had a purpose, and staying on track meant we didn't waste time on unnecessary detours. It's like having a compass that points directly at your end goal.

Becoming a Time Management Ninja: Sprints are my dojo for mastering time management. Planning each step and making the most of the clock became second nature. A crucial skill in the real world where time is always of the essence.

Turning Constraints into Allies: Sprints mimicked real-world challenges – limited data, tight deadlines, and not a ton of resources. Learning to dance with these constraints turned out to be a skill worth its weight in gold.

In a nutshell, diving into research sprints was like getting a crash course in efficient, agile, and impactful research. It's not just a method; it's a superpower for any researcher aiming to deliver results that matter.