Healthcare providers in the UAE can confidently weave diagnostics at the point of care, expansion of critical care with 24/7 remote monitoring, and patient-centric collaborations into their framework as the latest Philips’ Health Trend Research revealed that 90 per cent of UAE residents are willing to consider using telehealth solutions. The research also found that 72 per cent of respondents believe that virtual discussions with their doctors are as effective as face-to-face examinations.
This data, led by independent market research consultancy Censuswide, was collected from 495 respondents in the UAE aged between 18 and 64 years old. The survey took place between May and June last year with a set of quotas including a gender split in place.
The results present an opportunity to explore how information is exchanged between patients and providers and formulate strategies to educate people to take better control of their health. “The digitisation of healthcare is definitely a key priority. The momentum was there before COVID and continues to be there. We believe that healthcare is going to move away from hospital-centric care and move towards patient-centred care, where we deliver care through what we call an integrated delivery network,” said Marc Antoine Zora, General Manager and District Leader, Gulf & Levant, Philips Middle East. “This network is essentially going to give care where it is needed, when it is needed, and where it is the most cost-effective to deliver that care.”
Speaking about the overall attitude towards technology, Lucy Stewart, Head of Client Services at Censuswide, said that respondents are confident that it can help them manage their health effectively. “When it comes to having a better experience and ease of use in health management, more men compared to women believe that technology would help enable this,” she said.
According to Zora, these results pave the path toward meaningful change for the healthcare industry and set a stronger foundation for artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can be developed to predict health issues and initiate interventions to preserve lives.
As the population becomes accustomed to virtual care and remote devices, this would additionally free up bed space in hospitals for acute cases, and give healthcare professionals flexibility in their schedules, curbing burnout.
“The digitisation of care specifically gives support to chronic diseases because people can manage their health from a home setting. We need to ensure that patients’ health and well-being is looked after holistically. This also opens grounds for clinical collaboration. In many cases, it is important that a single patient can have his case looked at by multidisciplinary teams,” he said.
