Leverage data properly to add value across healthcare sector

Data collection, in itself, is the first step towards creating a highly functioning ecosystem which caters to the needs of the community.

What should come next is a system that properly leverages this data to identify stress points and achieves new innovations that improve patient care, says Ali Alajme, director of Digital Health, Ministry of Health & Prevention, UAE.

Speaking at the second edition of the Middle East Digital Health Forum on Thursday, he said that new policies have to be introduced which are based on properly analysing data that has been collected with the permission of patients. Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, he added, are increasingly being utilised in this mission.

“According to Forbes, public and private investments in AI technology were expected to increase and reach $6.6 billion by 2021. In addition, the AI market was predicted to register a compound annual growth rate of 40 per cent through 2021,” he said. “All this clearly indicates that AI will become increasingly important for clinical decision making.”

“The future will see more virtual hospitals, telemedicine will strengthen physician-patient relationships, and it will also be used more frequently to reduce the spread of infectious diseases,” he added.

Dr. Younis Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Healthcare Corporation, observed that the positive role of modern technology in revolutionising Dubai’s healthcare operations over the past few years is not only benefiting healthcare workers, but also helping individual patients and the entire community at large.

“The Electronic Health Record System has now become the powerhouse of international best practices for clinicians and has been successfully supporting continuity of patient care needs across different healthcare settings and organisations,” he said. “Digital health is also enhancing easy access to critical health data and information, thereby empowering patients and their families to seek better and safe care options at all times and to be actively involved in prevention actions and treatment decisions.”

rohma@khaleejtimes.com