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UAE residents okay with AI in medical care

Dubai - AI could play a major part in changing things, raising the quality of medical service and lessening the cost

Two-thirds of the population in the region, including those in the UAE, are willing to engage with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics for their healthcare needs.
Despite their worry about lack of empathy and the fear of losing the 'human touch', most people are willing to receive AI services to monitor heart conditions, get customised advice for fitness and health, be administered an ECG and get blood samples taken and tested, heard delegates at the 1st International Medical Tourism Forum, organised by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
"Compared to other parts of the world, people in this region are willing to embrace this change," said Dr Tim Wilson, Middle East health industries leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) while presenting results of a survey "PWC, What Doctor?" done in December 2016. Approximately 11,000 people were surveyed across 12 countries, of which 66 per cent said that they were ready for change. In the UAE, 38 per cent agreed to have their hearts monitored by AI, 31 per cent said it was okay for checking the heartbeat, 33 per cent agreed to have customised advice for health and fitness, while 30 per cent agreed to have blood taken and tested by a robot.
"The main deterrents remain absence of empathy and lack of sufficient trust in a robot's decision-making powers," said Dr Wilson.
He said AI could play a major part in changing things, raising the quality of medical service and lessening the cost, thereby making a difference to medical tourism. "AI is already here, but by 2020 we need 30,000 more doctors in the region and this is where AI plays a major part," he said.
There was no part of healthcare that AI has not touched, he added. "$1.79 billion went into AI-funding until February 2017 for 106 AI startups in healthcare."
In his opening speech, Humaid Al Qattami, chairman of the board and Director-General of the DHA, said the forum supports Dubai's efforts in attracting more than 500,000 health tourists by 2020.
Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, director of Medical Tourism Council, said that Dubai's strategic location, diagnostic and treatment services and competitive packages and infrastructure places the city on the right path to becoming a favourite destination for medical tourism, hence achieving Dubai's goal of attracting 500,000 medical tourists by 2020.
To better allow medical tourists to plan their trips when visiting Dubai for treatment, she said the Dubai Health Experience (DXH) project was launched, providing a one-stop electronic portal for medical tourists to book tickets and access comprehensive information about health care services, visas, hotel and other touristic services and packages.
Al Marzouqi said the forum, concentrated around the theme 'Reimagining Experience' healthcare travel, is dedicated to bring together prominent leaders and pioneers from the public and private health and travel sectors, to create a platform for regional and global exchange of knowledge. Held under the patronage and attendance of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the two-day event brought on its first day around 700 experts in the field of health, tourism and travel.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai