Here is a very interesting article about 23-year-old Lauren Welch, whose entrepreneurship hopes to change the way that patients in developing nations can access their medical records. Dr. Carlos Atore, Welch’s mentor at University and business partner, informed Welch about the problems with Kenya’s healthcare system. Welch learned that there were “only 2 doctors per 10,000 Kenyans.” “To remedy the problem, she designed a mobile application,” and, through the guidance of Dr. Atore, succeeded in implementing their mobile application in five clinics and a hospital.

States Welch: “This will be the first time a patient in these developing countries will be able to access their medical records in an instant. If it’s a war-torn country and they have to go somewhere else, they’ll have that digital health record in hand to show that provider. At that point, it gives them power of their health care for once.” Her idea caught the attention of MIT, and she hopes the service will only continue to grow.

It is interesting to see how her idea progressed with the help of her business partner. It’s also interesting to consider that her ideas as an undergraduate are entirely her own to grow and implement, yet, if she had been in graduate school receiving a stipend from her research facility, she may not own the rights to her own idea, particularly if it was developed through a program’s mentors. Regardless, this is another example of how a simple solution can help solve a complex problem.