ADVANCING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP UNLEASH A FUTURE WHERE HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT IS MORE INNOVATIVE, PERSONAL AND PROVIDES THERAPIES FOR DISEASES THAT HAVE SO FAR ELUDED SCIENCE
Technology’s true value lies in its positive impact on society and delivering real human benefit. This impact is most profound in healthcare where advanced technology can enable better health outcomes and save lives. This was seen during Covid-19 when technology was applied in the entire pandemic management chain, from helping to accelerate R&D into vaccines to managing mass vaccination campaigns, contact tracing and more. Building on this foundation can help unleash a future where healthcare management is more innovative, personal and can even find therapies for diseases that have eluded science.
Digital technology will cause a significant shift in healthcare systems worldwide in the next decade, improving care while also driving down medical costs. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates the costs saved could lie anywhere between $1.5 trillion and $3 trillion a year by 2030, thanks to a range of interventions such as remote monitoring, artificial intelligence and automation.
The healthcare industry generates massive amounts of data, which, if analysed, could hold the key to transforming healthcare management and enabling better informed public policy decisions. However, due to the highly sensitive nature of health data, much is out of reach to researchers, halting discovery and innovation.
Another problem is that data is siloed even where it is available, making it impossible for researchers to access the most up-to-date information or the most comprehensive datasets. This can slow the development of new treatments and curtail critical findings that lead to needed treatments or cures.
But there’s hope with new technologies emerging to better protect and decentralise data to address many of these challenges, such as federated data models. Federated data leverages a particular distributed database management system to help connect data sources while accounting for privacy.
Access to quality healthcare is a significant challenge even in more advanced economies. Major health facilities and medical specialists are typically in major population centres, with people in rural areas finding themselves with limited access to healthcare. But the latest e-medicine technology allows specialists to consult with patients or doctors wherever they are. Also, the rise in robotic surgery will deliver lifesaving and sophisticated medical procedures from anywhere in the world.
Wearables in healthcare
Healthcare has traditionally been the exclusive purview of medical professionals. But easily accessible technology such as wearables allows people to take a more hands-on approach to their healthcare outcomes.
Wearables have made rapid progress in the last few years and now include medical-grade sensors that measure everything from stress to sleep patterns. The latest smartwatch from Fitbit (Fitbit Sense) incorporates an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor that measures stress. Measuring EDA responses should help users understand their body’s response to stressors and help them manage their stress levels. The Fitbit Sense also features a new heart rate sensor that can detect and notify if your heart rate is outside the normal threshold.
Wearables may play an essential role in detecting infectious diseases by acting as an early warning system for our bodies. Early findings from a Fitbit Covid-19 study suggest that changes in some health metrics can be detected by Fitbit devices simultaneously with the onset of Covid-19 symptoms, and in some cases, even before. Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices have made remote monitoring in the healthcare sector possible, empowering physicians to deliver better care. It helps reduce the duration of hospital stay and prevents re-admissions. IoT also has a significant impact on reducing healthcare costs and improving treatment outcomes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping administrative teams streamline patient flows by doing everything from accurately calculating wait times to predicting peak busy hours for staff scheduling. Meanwhile, chatbots can get through preliminary questions and prioritise schedules, so doctors can use their time more efficiently.
Regional developments
The healthcare infrastructure in the region is impressive, providing the government and healthcare providers with a solid foundation to build a tech-driven healthcare system. Dubai Healthcare City is a world-renowned destination for quality healthcare and a key driver for Dubai’s medical tourism push. Meanwhile, the King Fahd Medical City is one of five healthcare-related mega projects already operational and under development in the kingdom. These projects lie at the intersection of medicine, innovation, training and research and will revolutionise healthcare delivery in the region.
The rolling out of integrated digital platforms such as UAE’s Riayatti, which enables the exchange of medical information within health facilities, will serve as one of the foundations of healthcare’s future.
In the private sector, UAE-headquartered Aster DM Healthcare launched in 2019 a Centre of Digital Health Excellence (Aster CDHE). The platform uses data analytics to better manage workflows, patient flow, personnel flow and dynamically adapt capacity to demand proactively. “Aster’s innovation centre aims to achieve key milestones such as the introduction of innovative solutions for home healthcare with a focus on digital primary care; establishing an ecosystem of digital health partners from startups to academia, and starting digital health, informatics and medicine as a stream for future healthcare workers,” Dr Azad Moopen, founder, chairman and managing director, Aster DM Healthcare said.
The healthcare industry is on the cusp of a massive revolution, a process accelerated by Covid-19. With vast amounts of data generated by hospitals, the use of AI and big data analytics provides a real impetus to enable data-driven healthcare decision making.
THE HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE REGION IS IMPRESSIVE, PROVIDING THE GOVERNMENT AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION TO BUILD A TECHDRIVEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM