Episode 15 · International

Implementation 101 and how to fail well

Caroline Perrin · Executive Director, Geneva Digital Health Hub

May 2025

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About this episode

The Geneva Digital Health Hub's Caroline Perrin on what it takes to implement digital health well in LMICs - why most failures are predictable, the role of community health workers, and how the Implementome community is building a global learning culture around implementation.

Implementation Global Health Community Health Digital Health

“Failure is not the opposite of success in implementation - hiding failure is.”
Caroline Perrin

What we cover

01What the Geneva Digital Health Hub does and why it exists
02Why most digital health implementations fail - and how to predict it
03The role of community health workers in making digital tools work on the ground
04Implementome: building a global community of practice around implementation
05How to fail well: learning from failure rather than hiding it
06Interoperability and why it remains a persistent challenge
07What funders and governments need to change about how they commission digital health
08The ingredients of a successful implementation: people, process, and technology in that order

About the guest

Caroline Perrin

Executive Director, Geneva Digital Health Hub

Caroline Perrin is the Executive Director of the Geneva Digital Health Hub (GDHD), a global centre of excellence that connects digital health innovators, implementers, and policymakers. She leads the Implementome - a growing community of practice for people implementing digital health tools across low- and middle-income countries - and organises one of the sector's leading annual conferences on digital health implementation.

Chapters

00:00Introduction

03:15What is the Geneva Digital Health Hub?

07:40Why digital health implementations fail

14:22The role of community health workers

21:05Implementome: a global learning community

28:30How to fail well - and learn from it

35:10Interoperability challenges

41:00What funders and governments need to change

47:20Key lessons for implementers

Transcript

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Shubs takes on consulting work with startups, investors, and global organisations across digital health.

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