A new feature being launched at the show this year is the Innovation Hub, located within the central Plaza Hall, that will prominently focus on technologies transforming healthcare. Working alongside government entities such as the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai Health Authority, Department of Health Abu Dhabi and SEHA, the Innovation Hub is a dedicated area for visitors to immerse themselves in the latest healthcare innovations and discover trending start-ups and SMEs creating an impact in the healthcare arena.
Plus, a dedicated seminar theatre will be a key feature in the Innovation Hub for the inaugural Innov8 Talks that will host 8 pitches, each 8-minute-long. Here you can listen to start-ups and entrepreneurs present their healthcare innovations to a panel of industry experts and potential investors.
Below is a deeper dive into some of the companies that are a part of the Innovation Hub and looking at how their innovations are shaping the future of healthcare.
Improving Paediatric Care with AI
At the Innov8 talks today, Nolan Rome, engineer and healthcare design director for WSP in the U.S. and co-chair of WSP’s Global Healthcare initiative, will be showcasing a paediatric care innovation that the company has been working on to determine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help deliver a better experience for patients and staff.
He shares: “We’re discovering whether using AI to interpret temperature, lighting controls, etc., is effective to achieving better wellness environments and reduce the procedural information the clinicians need direct from patients. The approach we are taking is to empower the children and give them the ability to control their environment, then using this data to provide the clinicians with unspoken cues as to what the patients level of wellness is. We believe this would reduce anxiety and stress on the patient, potentially helping them to recover more quickly, and allow the clinicians to have less scripted interactions with patients.”
Access to Everyone Everywhere
Participating at Arab Health for the second consecutive year is Okadoc, which is based in Dubai Health Care City and is a first of its kind platform in the region that connects healthcare providers and doctors instantly with their patients, bringing a way to quickly make confirmed booking appointments.
Fodhil Benturquia, CEO and Founder of Okadoc highlights: “We are making our official international debut at the show, showcasing our unique proprietary digital platform designed to provide instant and interactive healthcare access to everyone everywhere.
“The platform shows real-time doctors’ calendar availability, which allows hospitals, clinics and practitioners to take online appointments by patients who can search and select the doctor they need according to specialty, experience, education, location, insurance, language spoken and availability.”
Okadoc’s aim is to help the healthcare sector introduce significant efficiencies while reducing cost and maximising revenues and profitability. For example, hospitals and clinics connected to it can reduce no-shows by 75 per cent. From a patient experience standpoint, its user-friendly and device-agnostic platform drastically improve patient satisfaction giving them the functionality to find their preferred doctor who matches their precise requirements, book a confirmed appointment in less than 40 seconds, reschedule in 10 seconds and cancel in just five seconds; and all that without any human intervention. In fact, artificial intelligence enables Okadoc’s platform reduce toxic calls hospitals and clinics receive by 30 per cent.
When asked about future plans, Benturquia shares: “Okadoc’s high-adoption platform and highly scalable business model are at the core of the digital transformation of the UAE’s healthcare market, which is expected to be worth US$20 billion by 2020. Looking across the region, this year we have concrete plans to launch our presence in key regional markets across the GCC, a market expected to be worth a total US$71.3 billion by 2020.”
Effectively Managing Diabetes
Nicolas Babin is the co-founder of MirambeauAppCare and co-founded the company in France in 2017 with his associate Benoit Mirambeau. The company manages diabetes protocol for patients and at the show they are showcasing DiabiLive, their flagship product, an EU class 2b medical device application.
Babin explains: “DiabiLive allows insulin management and tele-consultation for patients and doctors. Everything is based on the doctor’s protocol. This application is unique as it is the only technology on the market that can calculate the precise amount of insulin the patient needs to inject by integrating their glycaemic level with medical protocol, food intake and physical activity.”According to Babin, innovation in healthcare today means having the patient at the centre of everything. Furthermore, the use of AI and smart algorithms allow patients to feel safe and doctors to manage them efficiently on-site or at a distance.
When asked about future plans, he shares: “We are currently focused on our diabetes protocol management application using all new technology. Our next step is to apply our technology to other illnesses that require strict and challenging protocols. Also, we are looking forward to starting our business in the UAE shortly.”
DiabiLive will be pitching at the Innov8 talks on Tuesday, January 28.
Machine Learning to the Rescue
Brainscan.ai is showcasing a software that uses machine learning to analyse computed tomography images of the head to detect and evaluate brain changes. Thanks to this solution, the Radiologist is able to give an opinion on a case faster, more accurately and with easy access to similar cases, in order to make a more informed decision. It hopes to generate savings for the hospitals and lower the queues for radiological interpretation.
Dariusz Wiśniewski, International Relationship Manager, Brainscan.ai says: “As software is not prone to be tired, it’s a tool that can actively help to lower the risk of misdiagnosis, which is a major problem.”Brainscan.ai is continuing to further develop the software by improving its accuracy and by polishing functionalities.
“Our team of developers is working to ensure that the final version of the software is available on the market in October 2019. When we have an established presence on the market, we want to get into MRI scans,” Wiśniewski adds.
Driving the Future of Medicine
One of the world’s first bioink companies and leading 3D bioprinter provider, CELLINK, is present at the show and will be pitching at the Innov8 talks today. The company focuses on the development and commercialisation of bioprinting technologies. Its innovative and patent pending bioinks are biomaterial innovations that enable human cells to grow and thrive such as they would in the natural human body environment.
The company’s disruptive technology platform is being used in over 600 labs to print tissues such as cartilage, skin, and even fully functional cancer tumours that can then be used to develop new cancer treatments. At the show, CELLINK is showcasing its latest 3D Bioprinter, BIO X.
Johan Berthag, Head of Global Sales, CELLINK says, “At CELLINK we take great pride in being one of the companies that are driving the future of medicine. To be able to be a part of and collaborating with some of the world’s best scientists doing ground-breaking research that will totally change how we develop new pharmaceuticals or patient-specific treatments, that is truly exciting.“One of the big goals is of course to be able to bioprint a full-size organ and transplant this into a patient!”
Tapping into Telemedicine
TruDoc24x7 has been operating since 2011 and is one of the UAE’s leading 24x7 Population Health Management Delivery System that combines next-generation telemedicine, telemonitoring and home health to provide patients with immediate access to highly trained, DHA licensed doctors and wellness experts for healthy, acute and chronic condition management and advice via voice/video calls. The one-of-a-kind solution consists of a 24x7 Call Centre, Integrated and Interactive Mobile Application, 24x7 On-site Virtual Clinic Booth, On Site Clinics, Disease Management Programs and Hospital at Home Program, which is licensed by Johns Hopkins University.
Raouf Khalil, Founder & CEO, TruDoc24x7 highlights: “Our full-time, non-incentivized doctors will tell you the truth about what you need, not what you can afford. As a trusted partner to over 5.1 million paid subscribers, we provide consumers with a true concierge service based on 24x7 Population Health Management and a guaranteed savings model for payers through the practice of true evidence-based medicine."
At Arab Health, the company will be showcasing its new 24x7 On-site Virtual Clinic Booth. Through the innovative technology included within the clinic, patients are able to take their readings using easy-to-use, integrated smart devices, which relay the readings directly to the call centre where TruDoc’s doctors are available 24x7 to assess the readings and provide advice back to the patient.
