Health-tech startups in healthcare service delivery: A scoping review

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2021-06, Vol.278, p.113949-113949, Article 113949
• Main Authors: Chakraborty, Imon, Ilavarasan, P. Vigneswara, Edirippulige, Sisira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoption of innovations; Affordability; Business; Business planning; Central government; Criteria; e-health; Electronic technology; Entrepreneurship; Feasibility; Health information; Health planning; Health problems; Health services; Health status; Health-IT; Health-tech; Information management; Information systems; Information technology; Licensing; Literature reviews; Markets; Medical technology; Organizational effectiveness; Privacy; Regulation; Startup; Startups; Systematic review; Technology adoption
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113949

An efficient and affordable healthcare service delivery to everyone is a prerogative of the national governments. Such delivery is quite exacting, and gaps remain. In this regard, startups are trying to disrupt the market with innovative solutions and reach the underserved market. Though anecdotal evidence remains, a rigorous literature review is missing. This paper attempts to understand the status of health-tech startups in healthcare service delivery. We scanned a total of 110 journals - Financial Times top 50, top ten information systems journals listed by the Australian Business Dean Council, and the top 50 Scopus indexed journals in health informatics and health information management. We followed a systematic process for this scoping review - reading of titles, abstracts, and then full papers for final analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 76 articles met the inclusion criteria. Only five studies portrayed the status of health-tech startups in healthcare service delivery. To capture the overall startup ecosystem, we continued with a scoping review of all the 76 articles. The identified five themes are Technology adoption, Electronic health services, Business planning and framework, Psychographics, and Regulations. There is evidence of technology adoption in service delivery and its nature in the businesses undertaken by startups. Very few studies represented the patterns of the existing business model. The acceptance of the services is dependent on service effectiveness and affordability. The challenges are licensing, policies, data privacy and security, and inadequate technology access among healthcare seekers. Albeit the feasibility potential, research concerning the impact of health tech startups in healthcare service delivery is emerging but incipient. The review indicates that research on startups is inadequate, especially related to entrepreneurship, business frameworks, and regulations. Future research should explore the same. •Study examined health-tech startups' landscape in healthcare service delivery.•Findings revealed health-tech venture's challenges and a notion to address them.•Theoretically underpin entrepreneurial aspects for health-tech startups.•Further research is needed to perceive startup's business model in service delivery.