Key strategies on sustainable digital healthcare transformation

.It has accelerated the shift toward digital healthcare by forcing hospitals to rethink their practises and implement new tools for managing staffing on a massive scale, keeping tabs on infections in real time, and providing remote care to patients who are quarantined.

According to Global Market Insights, the digital health business would be worth $504.4 billion by the year 2025. Included in this umbrella term include genomics, artificial intelligence (AI), and Big Data, as well as mobile health, e-health, and telemedicine.

The public's reaction to COVID-19 has relied heavily on digital health technologies, although their uses go far beyond the epidemic. When considering the prevalence of rising global macro trends like ageing populations and the growth of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes and cancer, it is clear that digital health and medical technologies will play a crucial role in relieving the strain on and improving the capability of the world's health workforce.

An increase in chronic diseases that don't spread

Rising rates of poor eating and inactivity are major risk factors for the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Middle East. In 2019, the Gulf area had one of the world's highest diabetes prevalence rates, as reported by the International Diabetes Federation. Keeping tabs on illness patterns and keeping tabs on chronic patients' treatment adherence and progress toward recovery is critical in the midst of this pandemic.

As the region tries to slow the spread of NCDs, it is turning to cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, wearables, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. Using the capabilities of these technologies to identify disease early and monitor patients remotely can yield major benefits for nations with a high incidence of NCDs.

Business analysts at Frost and Sullivan predict rapid expansion in the regional wearables market in the next years as more people realise the value of using AI to monitor their noncommunicable diseases. In order to effectively manage patients and gain insights into population health, biosensors can be placed in wearable devices that continuously monitor their condition.

Taking Advantage of Britain's Leading Digital Healthcare Innovations

The National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom is the largest single-payer universal health care system in the world, and many British healthcare technology startups got their start there. These businesses have been in the forefront of healthcare innovation in a variety of areas, including electronic health record management, patient self-care, and remote monitoring.

British digital healthcare companies have been making waves in the Middle East for the past 18 months and beyond. The innovative British patient-flow management firm Intouch with Health, for example, has signed a contract with a major Qatari hospital network to integrate and monitor its appointment scheduling on a single data-rich dashboard.

Patients Know Best (PKB), with headquarters in the United Kingdom, is present in Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates and provides patients and medical professionals with access to the full patient health record. Millions of patients all across the world are able to consolidate their medical records into a single location thanks to PKB, which already delivers the personal health records of England's NHS App.

Pioneering British organisations like Helicon Health, which has its origins at University College London, are in talks with officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to bring its remote monitoring technology for early stroke identification and prevention to the Gulf. Helicon aids in the identification of individuals who are acutely ill but are not receiving the appropriate care by using machine learning to EHRs.

Scotlands Tactuum, in a similar vein, is in discussion with a number of public and private healthcare facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to facilitate improved healthcare team decision-making by the provision of instant, anywhere access to vital guidelines, paths, and protocols. The Quris platform may be accessed on any device with an internet connection, including computers, smartphones, and tablets.

CMR Surgical, a company based in the United Kingdom, aims to revolutionise surgery for millions of patients all around the world, including those in the Middle East. The next-generation surgical robot Versius was developed by CMR to help surgeons conduct more complex procedures through keyhole surgery by increasing their precision, accuracy, and dexterity. CMR has established operations throughout South Asia and is now in negotiation with healthcare providers in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

The aspirations of the Gulf area to create a digitalized economy that can compete with the rest of the world align with the United Kingdom's great track record in medicine and innovation. Technologies such as AI are rapidly emerging as key enablers for multiple sectors of the regions economy, including healthcare. With such foresight and bolstered by a keen appetite for technology and partnership, the Gulf is on course to rank among the worlds top hubs for healthcare innovation in the coming years.

Gulf hospitals increasingly rely on digital health to combat lifestyle-related illnesses

Healthcare systems in the Gulf have been under unprecedented strain due to the pandemic, and the area has been forced to reevaluate its health practices, notably in tracking infections and treating patients remotely, like the rest of the world.

But as the storm passes, we learn vital lessons about healthcare policy and see a rapid acceleration of trends toward digital healthcare.

Industry Data Forecast estimates that by 2020, the Middle Eastern and African e-health market will be worth $989m, increasing at a CAGR of about 13%. E-health refers to the use of information technology and electronic communication to improve the quality, efficiency, and affordability of healthcare delivery.

Global Market Insights predicts that the digital health business, which includes mobile health, telemedicine, AI, and big data, will be valued US $504.4 billion by 2025.

Cancer and diabetes are just two of the many NCDs on the rise in the Middle East, both of which are directly attributable to people's increasingly unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles.

More than 55 million persons aged 20–79 were living with diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2019, and this number is projected to climb to 108 million by 2045, according to the International Diabetic Federation. As a result, local governments are increasingly relying on technology to monitor chronic patients' adherence to treatment plans and identify patterns in the spread of disease.

Leading the charge in healthcare innovation

The Gulf is leading the way in healthcare disruption and transformation, says Aaron Han, consultant, infection control and informatics at King's College Hospital London - UAE in Dubai, and the epidemic has accelerated the regional use of healthcare technology.

According to Han, "Covid-19 highlighted the importance of health and its tight connectivity with the economy, spurring investment in building and deploying the digital platforms and infrastructure needed to scale and make an impact on health and wellbeing."

Big data and artificial intelligence were among the helpful technologies deployed during the pandemic. EMRs, telemedicine, app-based medical interactions, and data sharing are all on the rise.

According to Han, innovative regional health technologies are increasingly being used to facilitate personalised and individualised approaches to the management of chronic diseases.

He also noted that big data analysis and point-of-care monitoring devices will be crucial.

Funding for digital health initiatives continues to rise

According to Jebin George, programme manager, industry solutions at IDC Middle East and Africa, the rise of digital health initiatives has made healthcare one of the fastest-growing sectors in the Gulf area.

According to George, money will mainly go into three things: telemedicine, data-driven healthcare, and smart automation.

Data-driven care incorporates data sharing across the entire healthcare system to provide a seamless patient experience; intelligent automation includes AI-enabled customer diagnosis, robotic surgeries, and internet of things (IoT)-based asset tracking; and remote health encompasses virtual consultations and personal wellness, using video-conferencing and wearables.

According to George, digital health efforts are helping medical facilities in the Gulf improve their productivity.

"The top objective for healthcare providers is streamlining processes and lowering expenses," he said. This is accomplished through the use of "process automation," "data-driven insights," and "IoT-enabled asset management."

According to George, "Patient Experience" is an important focus for hospitals in the Gulf. "It is crucial to use digital technology to deliver a unified experience for patients," he continued, "including location-agnostic treatment and a simplified in-hospital experience."