BCTA MEMBERSHIP STATUS
Alumni

SECTOR
Health

HEADQUARTERS
Chile

REGION OF INITIATIVE
Latin America & Caribbean

SDG CONTRIBUTION

RELATED NEWS

Health expenditures in Chile total US$ 20 billion or 7.7 percent of GDP. Demand for quality healthcare has grown quickly among the poorest Chileans as the result of a pandemic in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly those caused by overweight and obesity, which claim 70 percent of women and more than half of men. Expenses related to NCD complications, such as amputations caused by diabetes and retinopathy blindness, impact household incomes along with a loss of productivity. However, studies have shown that NCD patients who receive early and adequate medical attention can enjoy the same quality of life as healthy people.

The Chilean company AccuHealth, a pioneer in virtual clinical hospitals, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a patient-centric tele-monitoring service designed to improve the health and livelihoods of chronically ill patients with value-added medical care at an affordable cost.

AccuHealth's inclusive business model aims to provide patients diagnosed with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their families with a better quality of life by combining an evidence-based telehealth monitoring service with big data, predictive modelling and data-mining. It allows hospitals and clinics to improve bed rotation, optimize patient control and increase the geographical coverage of specialists. At the same time, it allows insurance companies to better manage their clients' health needs, reducing the incidence of medical emergencies and containing costs.

By 2020, AccuHealth aims to serve 200,000 chronically ill patients living at the base of the economic pyramid (BoP) in Chile who rely on the country's public health system. By that time, Accuhealth aims to extend its operations to 500,000 patients in Mexico and 300,000 in Colombia. In 2016, the country will also introduce a free, preventative-health service intended to empower 1.6 million BoP patients and their families to better manage their health by 2020.