INNOVATION CREATION – SOCIAL SECTOR

By- Akshay Umashankar

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 Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Six Innovative Suggestions ............................................................................................................. 3
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 9
References ..................................................................................................................................... 10

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Introduction
The rise of the digital age has led to a rapid increase in the use of information technology tools and
techniques by the people in a variety of ways. The following sections have provided detailed
insights pertaining to the development of six innovative suggestions regarding social innovation
through the implementation of information technology tools. The case under consideration focuses
on the betterment of the awareness related to the cancer patients and their plight in regions like
Ireland. The patients unable to provide the necessary financial resources for the commencement
of their treatment have been focused on in the considered case as well. The aspects and features of
the innovative ideas have been clarified, with relevant information regarding the same being
provided in the long run. Herein, this report strives to provide intricate information related to a
range of innovative suggestions for using the IT tools for better social innovation from the point
of view of an innovation consultant.

Six Innovative Suggestions

Incremental Innovation Idea 1

The initiation of methods for increasing the awareness related to noble actions like charity or social
management can be enhanced through the use of the information technology tools in a proper way.
The internet is generally used as a major platform in this context, with a large number of people
managing to make the relevant contributions through the same for the sake of meeting the desired
levels of objective completion. Cancer is one of the prominent problems faced by Ireland, with an
average of 40,000 new cancer cases being reported on an annual basis. A disturbing statistic in this
context is the observation that approximately one in two people in Ireland are expected to develop
some kind of cancer within their lifetimes by the year 2020 (Dixit et al. 2016). A greater level of
cancer awareness is a major necessity. Another method of increasing awareness regarding the
cancer patients of regions like Ireland is through the initiation of innovative methods of
advertisement and promotion. Some technological innovations of this kind include Nuevas
Trackers. The latter can ensure the tracking and monitoring of the people suspected to be cancer
patients (after gaining their approval) for the sake of gathering enough evidence that can be used

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as a means of promoting cancer awareness (by showcasing the horrors of the people suffering from
the disease who are unable to generate enough money for its treatment).

The technological innovation in question can help in the identification of the cancer patients in a
far easier manner as well, with the presence of this feature being immensely useful for recognizing
the cancer patients of even the most remote or rural areas. The development of the advertisements
on the basis of the information and live feed from the cancer patients can help in increasing the
awareness of the people regarding the difficulties that cancer patients face (especially after being
unable to initiate the required magnitude of payment for the necessary treatment) (Sedrak et al.
2016). The use of the aforementioned kind of innovative measures for the tracking and recording
of the difficulties faced by the cancer patients on a daily basis can lead to the eventual development
of accurate promotional advertisements that can increase cancer awareness among the people of
Ireland.

Incremental Innovation Idea 2

The awareness of the people regarding the horrors and dangers of cancer can help in initiating
many members of the Irish general public in contributing to the cause. The aspects of fundraising
can prove to be very beneficial in this context. The rise of the internet and the rapid increase in the
overall number of people making relevant use of the same have provided massive opportunities
for the people in initiating a range of activities. Indeed, the feature of online money transfer has
been very helpful for enabling the people to provide relevant contributions to the causes that they
believe in, without having to physically go from their location of comfort. Crowd funding (the
practice of funding a cause by raising a significant amount of financial resources from a large
number of people through the presence of a relevant platform) can prove to be helpful for raising
money for the cancer patients who are unable to pay for relevant treatments (Hill and Hayes, 2015).
Some of the most popular crowd funding platforms include Indiegogo, PledgeMusic, GoFundMe
and Kickstarter.

The aforementioned platforms can be used as effective models for the creation of a platform for
the raising of the necessary funds for the cancer patients unable to pay for their treatments. The
integration of the aspects of online monetary transfer with the huge popularity of social media
websites can prove to be an efficient innovative idea in this context. Indeed, the establishment of

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a relevant collaboration with the popular social media sites for the raising of the desired level of
funds can help in the enhancement of the overall efficiency aspects in the long run (Hill and Hayes,
2015). Indeed, the users of the social media sites in question can directly initiate payments through
the links on the said websites (rather than needing to directly go to the crowd-funding website).
The higher propensity of the people in visiting the social media sites increases the overall chances
of the people in being aware of the crowd-funding measure and initiating relevant contributions.
A crowd-funding platform in collaboration with the most popular social media sites of the present
day can prove to be a very useful innovative idea in this context.

Incremental Innovation Idea 3

The third incremental innovative idea in this context is the potential introduction of a data mining
measure. The development of a measure that can help in the creation of a helpline for cancer
patients is potentially beneficial in this regard. The establishment of a helpline that is toll-free and
is actually available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week can prove to be very helpful. This
number can enable the procurement of relevant information either directly from the cancer patients
themselves or from the people around them. In addition to the establishment of a hotline, the
availability of an email portal for the people wishing to provide relevant information about a cancer
patient can also help in boosting the overall chances of success of the betterment of the cancer
awareness aspects (Valentine et al. 2017). The integration of these measures with the use of the
Microsoft-developed PhotoDNA is also a potential step that can help in enhancing the overall
chances of success of this idea upon eventual implementation.

These kinds of technology help in the computing of the hash values of the video files, audio files
and the images for the sake of ensuring the identification of similar pictures or images. The
integration of technological measures like PhotoDNA with measures like hotlines and emails
portals can help in maximizing the chances of identifying the patients in desperate need for cancer
treatment in the quickest possible manner (Valentine et al. 2017). This idea can help in potentially
mitigating the overall number of cancer deaths due to late treatment or negligence in the various
regions of countries like Ireland. As such, it is a potentially beneficial measure in the fight against
cancer as a whole.

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Radical Innovation Idea 1

The use of artificial intelligence tools has not been in much use in the various awareness campaigns
that abound the modern world. The implementation of artificial intelligence can help in enhancing
the overall aspects of efficiency of the conducted operations. Indeed, the potential of the artificial
intelligence aspects in enabling high levels of efficiency is tremendously higher in the given
context as well. The higher magnitude of availability of the different artificial intelligence tools in
developed countries like Ireland is a major opportunity that has to be taken exploited in a proper
manner. The introduction of artificial intelligence personal assistants like chat robots can be very
helpful in this regard. The presence of a chat robot on the premises of the various healthcare
institutions of Ireland can help in providing the average people with the accurate information
regarding cancer (thereby proving to be a massive help in the betterment of the cancer awareness
aspects). The professionals can even show people like the ones living in rural areas about how to
make use of chat robots for gaining the desired information (McBride et al. 2015).

Figure 1: A Model of a Chat Robot

(Source: McBride et al. 2015)

The chat robots can also be major sources of communication as well, with the gained information
in one region quickly being transmitted to other relevant places. This is possible due to the

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connection of the chat robots with the various communication portals on a wireless basis. A similar
example of the use of artificial intelligence tools in the management of healthcare objectives is the
partnering of Microsoft with the United Kingdom Arthritis Research Organization for the use of
AI robot services (for information conveying). The relative success of this venture proves to be a
major point of hope for the aforementioned radical innovation suggestion in the given context as
well. The low margin of error of the artificial intelligence tools and innovative technologies prove
to be a major advantageous point in this context, with the endless possibilities of the AI tools being
a potential point of focus for the researchers of the future as well (McBride et al. 2015).

Radical Innovation Idea 2

The development of a newer mobile application ‘CancerHelp’ is a potentially fruitful idea in the
context of better cancer awareness in the various Irish regions in the long run. The application in
question has to be developed in accordance with the various requirements and needs of cancer
awareness improvement in regions like Ireland (Sullivan et al. 2017). The presence of this
application on the mobiles of the people can enable the said individuals in providing simple
messages to the relevant cancer authorities for bringing the attention of the latter on cancer patients
who are unable to provide the necessary financial resources for initiating the necessary treatments.
For example, a person possessing the aforementioned application on their mobile, upon noticing a
possible cancer patient unable to receive the required treatment as a result of constraints and
hindrances can alert the necessary authorities by sending a simple message to them through the
said application. The application in question can also enable the patients in communicating directly
with the nearest relevant cancer institution without needing to search for the latter.

As such, the timely conveying of the necessary messages from the patients or other people through
the reviewed application is one of the major benefits of the latter. CancerHelp also possesses the
artificial intelligence features of voice recognition and location determination, with the presence
of the said features being helpful in the initiation of timely intervention by the healthcare
professionals for cancer patients desperately requiring the same. Thus, the idea of developing and
eventually implementing the mobile application in question, CancerHelp, can prove to be very
helpful for the betterment of the cancer awareness aspects and the mitigation of cancer deaths (due
to negligence) in regions like Ireland. The fact that most of the people of Ireland possess smart

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phones and different kinds of mobile sets is a major benefit for enabling the aforementioned idea
in coming to fruition in the best possible manner (Sullivan et al. 2017).

Radical Innovation Idea 3

The use of an innovative idea related to blockchain can prove to be helpful in the context of the
betterment of cancer awareness in Ireland in the long run. The management of a proper quality of
the instruments and objects used by the healthcare professionals is possible through the tracing of
the goods in an efficient and consistent manner. The integration of blockchain technology for the
recording of the relevant data (such as the ones related to the degree of cancer management in
Ireland) is an innovative idea that is potentially beneficial. The development of a blockchain
system named ‘Prevention of Cancer’ can help the Irish government and the healthcare
departments in allowing the people to report on the cases related to negligent cancer deaths in an
appropriate manner. The nature of blockchain technology ensures that the compiled and stored
data cannot be modified and as such, data conveying and management can be ensured in the most
efficient possible way (Sullivan et al. 2017). The introduction and eventual use of this idea in a
proper manner can provide relief for the Irish cancer patients and their family members in general.

Figure 2: Basic Model of Blockchain Formation

(Source: Sullivan et al. 2017)

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Conclusion
The introduction of the innovative ideas has to be ensured only after the completion of the desired
magnitude of research. The initiation of the various technological measures has to be done after
careful consideration, since the potential for the misuse of technology is noted to be quite high,
especially in the modern-day world. The ideas pertaining to the introduction of a new mobile
application, a new blockchain system and artificial intelligence tools have the potential of
achieving high levels of success. The use of advertisements and promotional campaigns and
crowd-funding can also be useful in this regard. The initiation of innovative ideas, thus, requires a
higher degree of planning and the consideration of a range of factors.

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References
Dixit, N., Crawford, G.B., Lemonde, M., Rittenberg, C.N. and Fernández-Ortega, P., 2016. Left
behind: cancer disparities in the developed world. Supportive Care in Cancer, 24(8), pp.3261-
3264.

Hill, M.D. and Hayes, M., 2015. Do You Like it On The…?: A Case-Study of Reactions to a
Facebook Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Qualitative Report, 20(11),
pp.1747-1762.

McBride, C.M., Birmingham, W.C. and Kinney, A.Y., 2015. Health psychology and translational
genomic research: Bringing innovation to cancer-related behavioral interventions. American
Psychologist, 70(2), p.91.

Sedrak, M.S., Cohen, R.B., Merchant, R.M. and Schapira, M.M., 2016. Cancer communication in
the social media age. JAMA oncology, 2(6), pp.822-823.

Sullivan, R., Pramesh, C.S. and Booth, C.M., 2017. Cancer patients need better care, not just more
technology. Nature News, 549(7672), p.325.

Valentine, L., Kroll, T., Bruce, F., Lim, C. and Mountain, R., 2017. Design Thinking for Social
Innovation in Health Care. The Design Journal, 20(6), pp.755-774.

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