SIMBA: Successfully implementing image calling within outpatient services

Within welfare and health care, there is increasing use of online help applications, such as image calling. Implementing them is no easy task. This project helps organisations embed imagery in a sustainable way.

Research Theme: Mens, samenleving en digitalisering

Field of interest: Health and Care

Duration: 1/12/2018 - 30/11/2019

Financing: VLAIO

Within welfare and health care, during or between face-to-face meetings, online help applications are increasingly used.

Image calling is a clear example of this. It is an online conversation via an ICT application where counsellors and clients see and hear each other in 'real time'. Free image calling options available include Skype or WhatsApp. Examples of paid initiatives developed for healthcare are cContact, spreekkameronline.nl, PatientHub and Webcamconsult.

However, implementing image calling is no easy task. Innovation barriers include:

limited focus on the strategic importance of image calling for operations,
the lack of a good business model for embedding image calling,
a setback as funding for a project dies out,
lack of awareness of image calling among a wide range of employees,
lack of competences to recommend image calling to clients,
lack of decent hardware and a stable internet connection for employees,
lack of involvement of end-users (social workers and clients) in the development of the image call offer.

Consequently, this project focuses on the opportunities and (removing) the barriers to implementing (existing) image calling tools in welfare and health care. The welfare and health sector is aware of these innovation barriers but often lacks concretely deployable tools to bring the implementation of image calling to a successful conclusion. To keep the elaboration feasible, we chose 3 welfare and health sectors that use image calling in outpatient counselling. More than 20 organisations from these sectors are involved in the project as partners.

mental health and addiction services
home care
integrated youth aid

The Business Model Canvas (BMC) allows organisations to embed image calling within their organisations. This framework pays attention to strategic partners, the cost structure based on business cases, the definition of core activities and client segments and preconditions in terms of people, resources, deontology, etc.

Within each living lab, innovation labs and expert sessions will be organised on professional networks, storytelling, social return on investment and user-based experience. Together with the sectors, we will come up with a set of tools such as implementation frameworks, do's and don'ts, checklists and inspiring practical examples. These will be bundled in an online toolbox that can be used for the wider welfare and healthcare sector. The toolbox will include inspiring and supportive tools and methodologies that deploy at the micro, meso and macro levels. Upon completion of the project, this toolbox will be made available online.

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