Sensor-as-a-Service: Convergence of Sensor Analytic Point Solutions (SNAPS) and Pay-A-Penny-Per-Use (PAPPU) Paradigm as a Catalyst for Democratization of Healthcare in Underserved Communities
Victoria Morgan,
Lisseth Casso-Hartmann,
David Bahamon-Pinzon,
Kelli McCourt,
Robert G. Hjort,
Sahar Bahramzadeh,
Irene Velez-Torres,
Eric McLamore,
Carmen Gomes,
Evangelyn C. Alocilja,
Nirajan Bhusal,
Sunaina Shrestha,
Nisha Pote,
Ruben Kenny Briceno,
Shoumen Palit Austin Datta,
Diana C. Vanegas
Affiliations
Victoria Morgan
Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Lisseth Casso-Hartmann
Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Valle, Cali 760026, Colombia
David Bahamon-Pinzon
Biosystems Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA
Kelli McCourt
Biosystems Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA
Robert G. Hjort
Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Sahar Bahramzadeh
School of Computer Engineering, Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Saveh 11369, Iran
Irene Velez-Torres
Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Universidad del Valle, Cali 760026, Colombia
Eric McLamore
Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Carmen Gomes
Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Evangelyn C. Alocilja
Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Nirajan Bhusal
Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
In this manuscript, we discuss relevant socioeconomic factors for developing and implementing sensor analytic point solutions (SNAPS) as point-of-care tools to serve impoverished communities. The distinct economic, environmental, cultural, and ethical paradigms that affect economically disadvantaged users add complexity to the process of technology development and deployment beyond the science and engineering issues. We begin by contextualizing the environmental burden of disease in select low-income regions around the world, including environmental hazards at work, home, and the broader community environment, where SNAPS may be helpful in the prevention and mitigation of human exposure to harmful biological vectors and chemical agents. We offer examples of SNAPS designed for economically disadvantaged users, specifically for supporting decision-making in cases of tuberculosis (TB) infection and mercury exposure. We follow-up by discussing the economic challenges that are involved in the phased implementation of diagnostic tools in low-income markets and describe a micropayment-based systems-as-a-service approach (pay-a-penny-per-use—PAPPU), which may be catalytic for the adoption of low-end, low-margin, low-research, and the development SNAPS. Finally, we provide some insights into the social and ethical considerations for the assimilation of SNAPS to improve health outcomes in marginalized communities.
