Progressively developing a business model to assist elderly patients with cognitive impairment through a digital ecosystem: A methodological approach

Cognitive Impairment (CI) can significantly alter the independent living of people because of its impact on health and wellbeing. This paper illustrates a general Business Model (BM) allowing the delineation of services to ensure independent living for elderly people affected by CI. Furthermore, it describes a methodological approach to fit the general BM into a particular context and applies them in the Italian healthcare setting. The general BM includes a flexible, modular, scalable, and up-To-date organisational model and a digital platform. The first one describes the activities that regulators and service suppliers should accomplish and the second one consists of an easy-To-replicate and innovative information and communication technologies. The methodological approach comprises two steps that allow obtaining the BM Canvas and, then, the Service Model (SM) that includes Country-specific subsets of the elements included within the general BM. Finally, the paper describes the most significant aspects considered to transfer and adapt the developed BM in other contexts.