Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems are now the leading cause of death in Colombia. People in rural areas are particularly affected. They often have no regular access to specialist doctors or preventive check-ups, and the journey to the nearest hospital can take hours. As a result, many patients either do not seek treatment for their chronic conditions at all or do so only irregularly – with serious consequences.
This is where María Fernanda Ledezma Agredo’s research comes in. The economist is familiar with the problems facing her home country: she is originally from the city of Cali in south-western Colombia. A scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) took her to Passau in 2023, where she completed a Master’s degree in Development Studies. Her enthusiasm for the field remained. She decided to continue her academic career. She recently took up a position as a doctoral student at the DFG Research Training Group 2720 ‘Digital Platform Ecosystems’ (DPE).
The research group takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of digital platforms – not only from a technological perspective, but also with regard to the opportunities and risks in the Global South. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the group is the world’s largest research group on the platform economy, particularly within the field of economics. It shapes the established research area ‘Digital Platforms’ at the University of Passau.
Digital platforms as a bridge over geographical barriers
Telemedicine could present an opportunity for Ledezma Agredo’s home country, given its vast geographical diversity. From the Andes across the Pacific coast to the Amazon basin: the distances are vast, and the infrastructure is often poor. “Digital services such as remote consultations or the monitoring of chronic conditions could potentially enable people in rural areas to access healthcare.”
In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to telemedicine becoming more widespread in Colombia, the economist explains in the video. “We want to investigate whether this surge has changed the healthcare routines of people with non-communicable diseases.” There has also been little research into whether telemedicine can help improve the treatment of chronic conditions in emerging economies such as Colombia in the long term. “A better understanding of the effects of telemedicine could help inform more well-founded policy decisions in the field of digital health.”
Embedded in a strong research community
Ledezma Agredo can build on preliminary work carried out at the University of Passau. Within the Research Training Group, she is based in Research Area C, which focuses on the “socio-economic and regulatory dimensions of digital platform ecosystems”. Among other things, this research area examines the societal impacts of digital platforms on health. Her supervisor is the development economist Professor Michael Grimm. As part of the EU project SUNI SEA, he has researched the effectiveness of preventive measures against non-communicable diseases. Her fellow doctoral student, Laura Stock, is also investigating the opportunities offered by telemedicine, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.
In Research Area C, Ledezma Agredo is therefore able to explore her subject in depth. What she also particularly values about the Research Training Group is the exchange with fellow researchers from other disciplines: “Research is not an isolated process. The group provides me with structure and a research community.” She benefits from colleagues from a wide variety of disciplines: “They help me to see things from a different perspective or ask questions that I might never have thought of myself.”
This text was machine-translated from German.
The DFG Research Training Group 2720 “Digital Platform Ecosystems” (DPE) brings together researchers from the fields of business informatics, business administration, economics and communication studies. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Research Training Group is the world’s largest research group on the platform economy, particularly within the field of economics. It shapes the University of Passau’s strategic research profile area ‘Digital Platforms’.
