Global demand for qualified medical professionals is at peak levels and, in many regions, demand is outstripping the supply of medical staff, with shortages impacting the availability of healthcare. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 18 million additional healthcare professionals will be required worldwide by 2030, and there may be a global shortfall of a staggering 10 million healthcare workers. The GCC will not be immune to the effects of this shortage, and countries in the region are exploring how to recruit and retain the next generation of healthcare workers.

Worldwide, medical universities and facilities are witnessing an influx of students, which is a positive first step in supporting the growing demand for qualified professionals in the healthcare sector. In the GCC, organisations, governments and healthcare providers are engaging in strategies to expand the medical workforce to support economic growth plans, including the UAE’s economic and strategic plans and Saudi Vision 2030. Further supporting the growing demand for medical professionals, from educational to employment processes, the technology powering verification tools have evolved at a rapid rate globally.

Technology in the hiring and verification of potential candidates has proved essential in the healthcare industry, with digitisation methods, Application Programming Interface (API) platforms, blockchain security measures, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and pioneering Primary Source Verification (PSV) services being utilised in unison to aid students, professionals, employers and recruiters.

Universities are a prime example of how institutes and organisations are adopting digital solutions to aid qualification processes and recordkeeping for medical students. The use of technology to store essential documents, including academic degrees, passports and important personal information is now widely accepted globally across educational facilities and is paramount to providing quick and authorised access to student records.

Existing frameworks are consistently evaluated and updated to best aid in the efficacy, safety and security of digitised methods of document and record-keeping. Digitisation is a growing trend that is evident across multiple industries and sectors and continues to provide benefits, including time and cost savings, increased accuracy and ease of use for organisations, students, applicants, and employers.

API-driven platforms are used to help an organisation or employer validate information and documents in real-time. The instantaneous, ‘real-time’ nature API platforms allow for is integral to support the growing need for healthcare professionals on a global scale as employers need to ensure the validity of educational documents both quickly and effectively.

API platforms are widely used in the verification of applicants’ professional and personal documents and provide one of the quickest and easiest ways to validate an individual’s details. The validation to prove the authenticity of personal details and identities helps prevent fraudulent activities, recognise theft, and other false authorisations, and ensures the validity of a qualified professional and corresponding documents.

Passport verification APIs are the most widely used to confirm a person’s identity, including their name, nationality, and date of birth. Several verification providers and issuing authorities employ multiple APIs to confirm identities and streamline documentation and onboarding processes for educational and employment opportunities.

The security measures required for the evolution of successful verification tool methods are integral in safeguarding personal information. Blockchain technology presents a solution to help protect against security lapses, data breaches, cyber fraud, and other security challenges. Distributed ledger technologies, or blockchains, utilise the principles of decentralisation, consensus, and cryptography to ensure data cannot be tampered with once entered or uploaded.

Since its first introduction in 2008, blockchain technology has enabled a sense of security that information is protected amongst people, educational facilities, employers, governments, and other authorities.

AI is also used extensively to improve existing verification processes. The evolution of AI is evident across multiple industries and plays a vital role in the simplification and verification process of document scanning and storage. In the healthcare sector, medical degrees, licences, and other required documents are scanned and verified using AI technologies. Scanned versions are converted into text-based files, and the required verification of the details is possible while reducing the risk of human error. AI systems can also group data together and enhance the efficacy and quality of information storage.

Companies and organisations understand the importance of technological advances to maintain high standards within critical, high-risk sectors, including healthcare. The DataFlow Group, for example, leverages the above technologies and works alongside global governments, regulators, and public and private organisations to verify essential documents and aid in the employment process for healthcare professionals. The DataFlow Group’s PSV process, which utilises APIs, blockchain and AI, has verified over four million documents submitted across 2.5 million applications, empowered by the evolution of technology.

The evolution of verification tools in key sectors, including healthcare, is a necessary advancement. Since the pandemic, the need to be mobile, digitised and online has exponentially increased, along with the requirement for healthcare professionals.

According to the World Population Review, the UAE holds the top rank in GCC countries and places in the top 50 countries globally for the best healthcare system in 2022. Healthcare sector employment opportunities in the UAE and GCC continue to grow and the requirement for fast and accurate verification tools is needed more than ever to mitigate the potential risk of unqualified professionals employed in vital sectors.

As technologies continue to advance, organisations, including the DataFlow Group, will stay at the forefront of emerging verification tools to provide an efficient, safe, and accurate service to support the global demand for the employment of verified quality healthcare professionals.

Sunil Kumar is the CEO of The DataFlow Group

This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

Back to Management

The Middle East has experienced phenomenal growth in its healthcare industry over the past decade; and the HealthTech vertical has been key in solidifying the market’s position as a global industry player.

From consumer medical wearables to electronic patient records, or even utilising AI for efficiency and clinical support, the benefits of rapid digitalisation in the healthcare sector are manifold. This optimism can be backed up by data. The e-health market in the Middle East and Africa is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8 per cent from 2019 to 2024, reaching US$1.8 billion, according to the 2020 Global Ventures Digital Health report. Meanwhile, in the MENA region, the HealthTech start-up ecosystem is now worth over US$1.5 billion, a 22 times increase since 2016.

Notably, with the FemTech industry steadily rising, the region’s focus on women’s wellness and health is propelling its transformation into a key FemTech hub. MENA is the fourth largest market globally for FemTech, with its 7 per cent share of the total number of FemTech companies. It follows closely behind the third largest market, Asia (8 per cent).

What healthcare leaders must prioritise to secure success

To make the most out of this expanding HealthTech market in the Middle East and remain competitive, healthcare and HealthTech leaders must overcome these challenges ahead and prioritise certain elements to set their organisations up for success:

1. Attracting talent from other industries

As the HealthTech industry is still developing compared to more established sectors such as technology, finance, and consumer, the talent required for health innovators can come from other domains including software and cloud-services, as well as other consumer and regulated segments such as retail, online travel, gaming, and financial services. Growth in the industry is powered by digital healthcare innovations—such as increasing accessibility and integration of healthcare delivery—which makes tech talent high in demand. However, the market is plagued by the widespread tech talent crunch and the issue is further compounded due to the lack of skilled in market talent.

Against this backdrop, technologists in HealthTech face an uphill challenge in their digital transformation plans, especially in securing human capital equipped with knowledge of specific domains such as cybersecurity, data and analytics, cloud, and AI. HealthTech companies must prioritise diversifying their talent pool to ensure sustainable growth and cater to specific consumer demographics who are demanding new digital products and services.

Instead of hiring exclusively people with both healthcare domain knowledge and deep technical know-how, curating diverse, multifunctional teams made up of cross-industry experts can be more effective in setting the industry up for success.

Recently, we supported a leading HealthTech provider in the region to expand their leadership team, and in the process, we looked out for candidates with predefined skills and attributes needed to be successful in the roles, as opposed to specific sector expertise. This provided a wider pool of talent and helped shape the mindset of the cofounders when tackling their next major milestone.

2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion

The boom in FemTech bears testament to the region’s rising demand for accessibility and inclusion. Notably, in the MENA region, the FemTech market is projected to reach US$3.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent from 2021 to 2031. The emerging FemTech space in the UAE is driven by e-commerce platforms focused on women’s healthcare needs.

While companies in the sector are seeking top tech talent to scale their start-ups, they are not paying enough attention to HealthTech’s main draw as a social leveller to make healthcare more accessible. Heidrick & Struggles has spent an extensive amount of time understanding what motivates and excites professionals currently in the industry. In the vast majority of cases, an executive’s desire to either move to or stay within the HealthTech sector can be categorised into three main buckets – purpose-driven businesses, practical application of digitalisation to drive accessibility of healthcare, or a personal connection based off prior experience. If HealthTech companies tap into these drive factors, we will start to see more world-leading talent move into this sector.

Apart from enticing top talent, steps towards customer-centricity have become ever more crucial and companies need to similarly embody diversity, equity, and inclusion in their boards and workforces. According to Heidrick & Struggles research, top-performing boards tend to have more female board directors than their underperforming counterparts. This is undeniably important with the growing FemTech business in the region. To successfully understand and solve health problems facing women today, organisations need to ensure their boards and employees are sufficiently diverse in gender, backgrounds, and experiences.

In the region, however, we are still noticing a substantial lack of diversity on the boards of SMEs and start-ups. Based on our experiences working with boards in the region, many understand the need to make their boards more diverse but do not have a clear action plan to make any changes in the short-term.

Clear benefits of having diverse and inclusive teams also include bringing more effective solutions to tackle difficult problems, managing risks, and identifying new opportunities for their organisations. Meanwhile, inclusive cultures can improve the resilience of companies, especially in today’s uncertain and volatile times.

Looking ahead

After companies expand their scope in identifying talent and refocus their priorities on diversity, equity and inclusion, a greater challenge lies ahead to ensure success is sustainable. As a growing industry amidst global tech talent shortage, it is imperative that the HealthTech sector prioritises creating organisations where people want to stay for the long term.

There is a bright future ahead for the HealthTech industry, but for firms in the Middle East to compete with global leading counterparts, they must strive to build diverse and inclusive teams across all levels of the organisation. It is also critical for organisations to predefine their own value proposition as an employer with career and learning roadmaps. With this, we will see the sector compete for some of the best talent in the region and beyond.

Tom Clarke is Principal in Heidrick & Struggles’ Dubai office and a member of the global Technology & Services and Digital Officers practices

This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

Back to Management

Unlike the previous year, which was dominated by the theme of recovery, 2022 was an eventful year for the global healthcare industry. Supply chain disruptions, inflation, and shortage of healthcare staff have plagued the industry for most of the year while China’s COVID lockdowns, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the imminent global recession further added uncertainty and volatility. However, 2022 was a year of moving forward.

Driving factors propel market growth

Medical demands keep growing driven by worldwide ageing populations, higher prevalence of chronic diseases, and rising expectations for healthcare. Global healthcare systems are under strain with staff shortages and financial sustainability while facing rising demands and expectations. The limited healthcare resources are struggling to meet the ever-growing demands.

Fuelled by rising medical demands and technological innovations, the global healthcare equipment market has been growing at double the pace of the global GDP since 2016.

These factors will continue to drive robust growth of the global healthcare equipment market.

Adoption of the Quadruple Aim of healthcare

The Quadruple Aim is a guideline widely adopted among healthcare providers to optimise outcomes for stakeholders. It demands health systems to achieve higher efficiency and better clinical outcomes at lower costs.

Technology innovations are pivotal to achieving the aim. Medical device makers have been striving to develop technologies and solutions, supporting healthcare providers to improve efficiency, enhance the clinical outcome and reduce costs.

Four trends emerge in global healthcare

Powered by technological innovations to tackle health system challenges alongside the rising role of patients in healthcare practice, the following trends emerge and accelerate with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumerisation: As seen in other industries, consumerism is taking hold in the healthcare industry. Patients or consumers are showing increasing preference for home setting solutions for the sake of more convenience and better information access. Consumer medical devices, including various types of wearables constantly tracking health indicators, will continue their robust growth in the foreseeable future. The line between consumer technology and medical devices is increasingly blurring.

From the healthcare providers’ side, the recent technology advancements propel the trend of healthcare, shifting from hospital care to home care. Home health is becoming a fast-growing business with home healthcare providers flourishing.

Digital transformation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless and virtual care became ubiquitous among healthcare providers. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine will continue to rise.

As per Omdia’s survey in 2021, healthcare providers worldwide have been increasing their spending on digital transformation. The Omdia survey reveals that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers have ramped up their adoption of AI and telemedicine, and they plan to further expand the adoption in the coming years.

Automation: Healthcare is a labour-intensive sector. Under-resourced professionals are struggling to meet ever-growing medical needs. Technology can lend a strong hand to healthcare workers.

The market for electric and smart beds was massively boosted in 2020 owing to increased demand for prone positioning ventilation for COVID-19 patients. The innovation of technology is advancing toward integrating hospital beds into monitoring and treatment systems.

Healthcare robots, like nursery robots and rehabilitation robots, can assist with patient care. Robotic process automation (RPA) can replace labour in operational areas by learning and repeating routine tasks that humans perform, such as appointment scheduling and claiming process operations.

Decentralisation: The recent technological innovations including devices constantly tracking and monitoring health, online platforms, and apps offering medical consultations, have greatly expanded access to health services and health data.

Increased data sharing and interoperability among healthcare providers break boundaries across practices and locations. Instead of heavily relying on nearby hospitals for consultations, diagnoses, and treatments, patients will have more choices and information sources to manage their health, shifting from centralised care to omni, decentralised care.

The four trends are interconnected:

• Digital transformation requires connectivity among devices.
• The health data generated by homecare devices can only be well tapped for its huge potential if connected to healthcare providers for further analysis.
• Automation devices will play a big role in improving clinical outcomes if the data is integrated into the monitoring and treatment system.
• The more decentralised healthcare is, the more connectivity and collaboration are required to improve the healthcare outcome and operational efficiency.

The outlook of the healthcare industry is changing

The healthcare ecosystems and social dynamics are changing. Technologies are striding forward. Healthcare will present a new outlook in the coming decade.

In traditional healthcare:

• Clinical outcomes have largely fallen on the pharmaceutical firms through medication.
• Healthcare providers have found staff shortages to be a major obstacle in terms of service quality.
• High entry barriers have been protecting the incumbents of the healthcare industry and hampering the thriving of newcomers.

In future healthcare:

• Medical devices will play an increasingly important role in improving clinical outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Medical devices will become much smarter. Technological innovations centred around the trend of consumerisation will demand the smartisation and connectivity of medical devices. Advanced sensing technologies will play a big part in the healthcare sector’s future.
• There will be more stakeholders in healthcare. The healthcare equipment market will meet new entrants with non-healthcare backgrounds. Non-medical competitors, which win the preference of consumers with disruptive technologies, will increasingly pressure traditional medtech companies.

Technology has lagged in the healthcare industry compared with other industries. The future of healthcare will be empowered by technologies with patients at the centre of the ecosystem.

References available on request.

Sally Ye is the Senior Analyst at Healthcare Technology, Omdia

This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

Back to Technology

The global pandemic impacted many industries worldwide in a variety of ways and may have been the most significant catalyst for pushing the pharmaceutical industry into adopting digital marketing into its fold, with budgets, strategies, and tactics being approved seemingly overnight to cater to the inability to meet healthcare providers (HCPs) face to face.

Multiple reports in 2020 indicated how webinars, online symposiums, e-mail marketing, and even social media — a channel kept at arms’ length by the industry — received near-immediate management support and approval. The general consensus among digital marketers in the industry was a feeling of relief that digital is no longer a nice add-on but in fact a serious part of the marketing mix.

Regionally, too, the growth in multichannel marketing for pharmaceutical companies has taken a sharp upward trajectory, with companies in the GCC recruiting and investing in this space.

According to research by healthcare think tank IQVIA, more than 50 per cent of HCPs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE now engage in hybrid communications with pharma companies, split between face-to-face meetings with medical reps and two digital channels on average. Less than 20 per cent want only face-to-face engagement.

With the rapid evolution in the pharmaceutical market over the last decade, particularly in the knowledge economy currently enjoyed by consumers and HCPs alike, the healthcare ecosystem is in a state of upheaval. Customer-centricity is the need of the hour and increasing demands for medical content is forcing a shift in the speed of pharma marketing innovation.

Leave-behinds are giving way to landing pages, e-detail aids by medical reps are now less preferred in favour of self-detailing options, and social media is taking over as the peer-led platform of choice. Furthermore, VR and AR are being seriously considered as preferred channels at medical conferences to showcase drug efficacy in a virtual world.

Customers engaging with an ever-increasing number of touchpoints comes with an increase in regulations, risks, and expectations. However, government medical authorities, particularly in the GCC region, have been quick to react with regular updates to existing policies and the creation of new ones to cope with the speed of change.

Today, we look at some key digital marketing trends for the pharma industry in 2023, and challenges companies may face as they continue enhancing their multichannel capabilities:

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Machine learning and AI, once considered science fiction, are now being increasingly tested in public on a variety of industry applications. The Elon Musk startup OpenAI’s project, ChatGPT, is now being considered a viable and more accurate alternative to Google as a search mechanism, offering not just websites but content that will not take you to a third party. The impact of this on websites, personalisation, and direct response campaigns by pharmaceutical companies cannot be understated.

HCPs may consider asking medical questions directly to an AI system specialised in healthcare instead of spending time on search engines and Wikipedia or – critically-speaking — pharma-sponsored platforms.

With the UAE and Saudi Arabia aggressively investing in the AI space to become world leaders in the space, pharma companies having a presence here need to consider recruiting specialists in machine learning to navigate the inevitable behaviour of customers in the coming years.

Healthcare experience goes seamless

The pandemic allowed healthcare companies to enhance their digital offerings with better user experiences and interfaces. Consumer healthcare options such as drug delivery, PCR testing in the home and others became second nature as opposed to the previous experience of waiting for hours for insurance approvals and appointments. No longer a doctor-driven experience, the patient is now in control.

Digitally savvy, patients now expect the same levels of seamless delivery of services they receive from other industries like retail and hospitality. Patients today are more conscious of the treatments they receive. No more blind faith in healthcare advice, they are doing their own research and coming into consultations holding insightful questions.

Amazon, Uber and AirBnB were disrupters in their industries because of the seamless control over choice, payments, delivery and service quality. The pharma industry needs to harness similar thoughts and provide these experiences in their user journeys.

The region is already adapting to this. Regional giants in this space like Marham in Pakistan, a medical mobile application, allow patients to search for a doctor based on their symptoms, then look up the doctor’s ratings from other patients, book appointments with them, and look up insurance details and payment terms, ensuring the entire process happens at their fingertips. Similar solutions have been developed in India and are now coming to Egypt and the GCC.

The social patient and the social doctor

For almost a decade, social media has been a problem for pharma companies. Either regulatory and compliance fears used to – and continue to – stop any campaign ideas in their tracks, or the lack of availability of healthcare experience social media talent made it nigh impossible to have good quality social presence. Many global pharma giants still do not have a presence on some of the biggest social networks, despite 2023 now upon us.

HCPs are not immune to this. They display the same behaviour as patients, with active social media profiles for their personal and professional lives. In 2022, a massive 87 per cent of HCPs under the age of 45 turned to social media professionally, spending two hours and 22 minutes a day on various platforms, according to research by Sermo.

TikTok is now the new destination for HCPs to get insight into patient behaviour as well as form their own professional profiles. Doctors around the world and across specialisations now offer healthcare advice on this platform, which is still considered a teen fad by most businesses.

While pharma marketers watched from a distance, intimidated by social media’s public power and ability to damage any drug’s brand, they overlooked the HCP communication benefit. The only way pharma companies can make the leap needed is to invest in young social talent that has the knowledge and expertise to navigate new platforms like TikTok, Instagram reels, and more, even if they do not have the medical experience so rigidly required by these companies. Hire them for the talent and train them on the industry.

Big data, small data, any data

Pharma companies already have large commercial business support units in their offices, churning through numbers day after day. However, in most cases, this massive amount of data consists solely of HCP prescriptions, sales numbers, forecasts, and marketshare information.

Despite spending millions on digital marketing, most campaigns run for a few weeks targeting thousands of HCPs and are analysed for their top-line metrics. And yet, the underlying insight that can be gleaned from that wealth of data is mostly ignored due to the lack of a team, with most digital marketing being done by one or two employees who do not have the time to spend on big data analytics.

With almost 150,000 registered HCPs between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and another 35,000 in the remaining GCC countries, pharma companies looking to make an impact on the HCP experience with their products need to consider augmenting their digital workforce with big data specialists who can uncover the hidden insights waiting to be used.

According to Cardinal Digital Marketing, investments into new tech in healthcare still stand at a minimal. The most significant new MarTech investments involve SEO analytics (13 per cent), marketing automation (13 per cent), and online scheduling (11 per cent). Not surprisingly, according to their research, 47 per cent of healthcare companies still do not use a CRM solution. Despite the numerous benefits to hosting one, it seems like many organisations still aren’t ready for the challenge.

The use of big data analytics and the resulting predictive modelling, particularly using the insights in a CRM system, will optimise their marketing efforts resulting in a stronger, more predictable ROI.

Understanding screen saturation

Screen time increased by 76 per cent during the pandemic, according to a study by Lenstore. The average consumer actively engaged with five separate screens at the same, those being a smart TV, mobile phone, tablet, laptop and second phone. HCPs were not immune to this, and are now frequently seen dividing equal time between the tablet on their desk, the laptop in front of them and the mobile phone in their hand. This is not including the medical rep shoving an iPad in their face.

The attention span of the average content consumer has reduced drastically from three seconds in 2017, while anecdotal estimates have this down to one second. Pharma companies are prone to long-form copy, extensive video and busy websites. Even their social media content is usually text-heavy.

Now with the increasing use of short-form, vanish-in-24-hours social media content, there will be greater pressure on industry content experts and marketers when engaging with HCPs and patients who fall in this segment.

There is hope on the horizon, however. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even TikTok now have dedicated healthcare and life sciences divisions whose sole purpose is to enhance output from healthcare companies to cater to HCPS and patients alike. With TikTok and LinkedIn now aggressively expanding into the GCC, engaging with them now will provide many benefits in the coming year.

Conclusion

While there are many things to expect in the coming year with regard to digital marketing innovations in the pharmaceutical industry, a few things will dominate boardroom discussions on marketing. Increased penetration of AI, expectations of seamless healthcare interactions, a push to greater social media medical engagement, multi-screen behaviour, and the increase in usable digital channel data will dominate where investments and expertise will feature in the marketing mix.

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This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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The key priorities of finance in healthcare are evolving rapidly as the industry moves towards value-based care, process automation, and financial sustainability. Therefore, the role of the chief financial officer (CFO) is also evolving to meet the needs of the challenging healthcare landscape. Today this leadership role requires skills that transcend the traditional scope of finance.

Healthcare CFOs of today are trusted business partners and strategic thought partners to the CEO and leadership team, with a strong understanding of the macro and micro challenges facing healthcare today, as well as the clinical and operational challenges facing their organisation. The CFO of today needs a deep people focus, which drives an inclusive culture, innovation and clear communication. Automation of processes, accessibility to data and real-time reporting are increasingly important for a CFO.

In my 20-year career in healthcare finance, I have come across many situations where my team and I are questioned about finance involvement in processes and decisions made at operational level. So why is it important to involve finance, and what role do they play?

Well, finance needs to be “unboxed”. Finance must educate the organisation on how and why it can be a trusted business partner. As result of its access to large sets of data including financial, clinical and operational, as well as high analytical skills, the finance team is uniquely placed to be able to determine relationships and draw conclusions from the data, which helps to inform improved decision-making, mitigate risk and improve efficiencies.

We look at the impact of the changing role of finance.

Streamlining payment processes

Patient-centred care means we need to take into consideration that we have a more informed patient population with high expectations, looking for easy access and instant service with remote options. A patient’s financial journey can be the source of additional stress and anxiety for patients already worried about their health. Creating a patient financial journey, which provides all the necessary information prior to arriving at the facility, in addition to ease of access and efficient payment options, is a priority for any finance department.

Making sure we have a robust process that provides patients with upfront information on their insurance coverage, their financial responsibility for their care, cost estimation for out-of-pocket expenses with easy payment options, is essential for an enhanced patient experience. This information needs to be delivered with sensitivity and care, by well-trained and experienced staff.

Investing in innovation and people

Finance needs to work closely with the organisation to design the budget to support the needs of the patient at every level, which results in being able to invest in the latest technology, equipment and leading medical talent.

Effective financial planning to achieve financial health of the organisation allows us to invest in innovation to support improved processes and efficiencies. Excellence and best practice in finance should be supported through the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) and other software solutions that facilitate the financial planning, analysis and reporting leading to improved accuracy and speed of decision making.

Sustainability and staff resilience

Sustainable financial performance allows the organisation to reinvest in equipment, infrastructure and people. At SSMC, our focus on the value equation will lead to a reduction of costs over time to achieve sustainability. When superior clinical outcomes, enhanced patient safety and exceptional patient experience combine, the cost of care over time decreases due to reduced utilisation, reduced complication rates and improved operational efficiencies. The increased trust resulting from this value equation drives loyalty and increased demand.

A culture of learning and growth is an important aspect for organisations to ensure that their staff is equipped with the latest methods, knowledge and best practice. Setting aside a dedicated learning and development budget for continuing medical education (CME) credits and investing in staff well-being and engagement, create a positive work environment that contributes to greater patient experience and reduced cost of attrition

We must take care of our staff so that they can take care of our patients, as they contribute to our primary goal to put the needs of the patient first. Educating the entire organisation on business acumen, revenue cycle management (RCM), supply chain and more, will help elevate the overall performance and outcomes.

Carolyn Millward is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC).

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This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is one of the largest markets in the region and the biggest in the GCC. With a population of 35 million, the Kingdom has the largest population base in the GCC. Combined with Vision 2030, the country is undergoing fundamental structural changes in all economic sectors, including healthcare. With the introduction of several legal and economic incentives, including 100 per cent foreign ownership, the healthcare sector is amongst the most attractive sectors in the Kingdom, offering numerous opportunities for private sector operators and investors.

Based on Colliers’ estimation, the KSA will require approximately 195,000 additional beds by 2030. However, two of the biggest factors hindering the growth of the KSA healthcare sector are high land cost and the availability of funds for capital expenditure, mainly for the construction of hospitals. The opportunity, therefore, lies within unlocking existing value within the sector to support expansion programmes or as alternative funding sources for new developments.

Related: eBook: Navigating the healthcare market: Saudi Arabia edition

Key healthcare indicators

The author highlighted: “Unlocking the real estate assets through capital markets/REIT funds or sales and leaseback in the Kingdom can potentially unlock current US$59.0 to US$63.4 billion only from property values against the required investment of approximately US$32.6 to 34.0 billion to establish around an additional 19,500 beds by 2030 within both public and private sectors. The unutilised US$26.4 - 29.4 billion can be used to upgrade the existing hospitals.”

The Other Government Sector (OGS) or Quasi-Government healthcare facilities are hospitals and health centres operated by the MoH and predominantly catering to employees of government organisations. Some Quasi-Government Facilities include the National Guard, Ministry of Defense and Aviation, Ministry of Interior, Royal Commission, ARAMCO, etc.

Source: SAGIA, Ministry of Health, the World Bank, Colliers Analysis 2022

Capital Financing: one of the key factors hindering the growth of the healthcare sector

A key challenge while establishing quality hospitals in KSA is the high funding requirement. Even though banks and other financial institutions actively seek investments within KSA’s healthcare sector, they often limit their exposure by only servicing known market participants with proven track records. International or regional operators contemplating entry into KSA’s market often struggle to secure project finance unless there is a recourse to alternative cash flows.

Further difficulties arise with the terms offered. Healthcare investments are typically long-term investments contradicting a bank’s risk appetite, which typically extends to a tenure that ranges between 8 – 12 years.

For the first time, entrants to KSA’s market, who don’t have enough financial resources or are unable to make significant financial commitments due to a variety of reasons, ultimately end up searching for private investors to enter into a licensing and operating agreement, from which they will extract a management fee. Alternative options include operators forming and owning the operating company (OpCo) with the investor investing in the land and property (PropCo) and creating a Joint Venture (JV) with an investor. The various options available to Operators based on the availability of funds are:

• Outright purchase of the land;
• Long-term lease of the land;
• Land as an equity investment by the landlord;
• Long-term lease of the land and shell & core structure from landlord/investor;
• Creating a JV with the landlord/ investor in an equity partnership; or
• Signing a management agreement with the landlord/ developer/ investor.

However, each option has financial, operational, and legal advantages and disadvantages, and Operators should seek professional advice before entering into any such arrangement. The Kingdom is moving towards encouraging more private-sector participation in the healthcare sector. The extent of investment required is significant.

1 Based on Rent as 40% of EBITDA for Public Sectors (@ 7% yield) & 25% for Private Sector (@ 9% yield) Hospitals

2 Based on Rent as 10% of Revenue for Public Sectors (@ 7% yield) & 12% for Private Sector (@ 9% yield) Hospitals

Source: Colliers Analysis 2022

Healthcare REIT: A tool to fund the development of healthcare projects and capital market in KSA

Although healthcare developments are traditionally considered as social infrastructure, healthcare assets are legitimate asset classes in their own right. Given the ongoing fractious and often volatile economic conditions, traditional real estate and local bourses have offered limited scope to the private investor and regional funds.

Historically, healthcare projects supported by the strong demand demographics rapidly attracted funds and private investors looking towards new avenues of investment. Naturally, as liquidity has fallen, so has the availability for healthcare investment. In the last few years, the healthcare sector has seen tremendous growth and continues to be one of the few sectors that have not actually been adversely affected by economic fluctuations.

This perceived immunity to economic cycles has made some view these sectors as being ‘recession-proof’.

Normally healthcare assets are considered as traditional ‘defensive (inflationary) plays’ in many institutional global markets, offering low but firm yields. In the MENA region, the benefit is that these sectors retain their relative safe haven status while providing returns that would usually fall in the opportunistic category.

Source: Colliers Analysis 2022

The Kingdom is moving towards encouraging more private-sector participation in the healthcare sector. However, the extent of investment required is significant. In the last few years, sale and leaseback have gained popularity as an option for several existing operators who own their facilities but want to expand their operations by creating PropCo and OpCo structures, extracting value by selling and leasing back the real estate asset into a PropCo.

The PropCo or asset would then typically be sold to mainly institutional investors, with the property subject to a typical 25-year lease agreement. However, due to the large ticket size of the investment, typically a minimum of US$50 – 70 million for a 100-bed hospital, only institutional investors or large family houses have access to these funds, with retail investors not able to benefit from the opportunities. In Colliers’ opinion, one way of bridging the required investment is by way of creating more REIT funds.

Based on Colliers’ estimate, REIT funds in the Kingdom can unlock around US$59.0 - 63.4 billion property value from the private sector, thereby playing a key role in augmenting growth in the healthcare sector.

Further, the unitisation of the physical assets also increases the size of the potential size investor base. The expansion of REITs in KSA is expected to benefit the Kingdom’s economy and capital markets by offering investors more diversification, transparency, and greater accessibility to local real estate.

Moreover, it is expected to provide an opportunity for retail investors who are looking for predictable income streams from real estate assets. Further, the unitisation of the physical assets also increases the size of the potential investor base attracting new sources of capital.

Source: Colliers Analysis 2022

Funding requirement by 2030 and conclusions

In summary, the healthcare sector in KSA, especially the private healthcare sector, offers several lucrative opportunities for developers, investors, and operators. However, it also poses a number of challenges, such as high capital costs, difficulties in attracting quality doctors and especially nurses, and funding constraints for new entrants. Private sector and capital markets/ REITs can continue to play a significant role in the growth of the healthcare market by providing much needed capital investment to fund the needed new hospital by 2030.

Colliers’ healthcare team is working with a number of market players to assist them in their expansion plans, either by expanding existing brands or attracting international brands to the region. Colliers is also assisting some market participants through traditional funding options, such as debt and equity, or emerging funding options, such as OpCo / PropCo, or a Joint Venture (JV) with an investor and REITs.

Mansoor Ahmed is the Executive Director Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Healthcare & Life Sciences, Education & Public Private Partnership (PPP), Colliers

This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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Pre-analytical steps, the major source of mistakes in laboratory diagnostics, arise during patient preparation as well as sample collection, transportation, preparation, and storage. However, while it has been reported that the pre-analytical phase is error-prone, only recently it has been demonstrated that most errors occur in the ‘pre-Pre-analytical phase’.

The latter comprises the initial procedures of the testing process performed by healthcare personnel outside the laboratory walls and outside the direct control of the clinical laboratory. Let us look at the state-of-the-art of pre- Pre-Analytic Automation in the laboratory.

Quality in laboratory medicine should be defined as the guarantee that each and every step in the Total Testing Process (TTP) is correctly performed. Thus, assuring valuable medical decision-making and effective patient care. Indeed, consequent changes made to the medical landscape have greatly impacted the quality and delivery of laboratory services.

In the past decades, a ten-fold reduction in the analytical error rate has been achieved thanks to improvements in the reliability and standardisation of analytic techniques, reagents and instrumentation, and advances in information technology, quality control, and quality assurance methods.

However, recent evidence suggests that 70 per cent of errors in the loop fall actually outside the analytical phase. It is also worth mentioning that the pre- and post-analytical steps have been found to be more vulnerable to the risk of error. The current lack of attention and monitoring to extra laboratory factors is in stark contrast with the body of evidence pointing to the multitude of errors that continue to occur in the pre-analytical phase.

Moreover, the ISO 15189 standard for laboratory accreditation defines the pre-analytical phase as ‘steps starting in chronological order — from the clinician’s request and including the examination requisition, preparation of the patient, collection of the primary sample, and transportation to and within the laboratory, and ending when the analytical examination procedure begins’.

This clearly recognises the need to evaluate, monitor and improve all the procedures and processes in the initial phase of the brain-to-brain concept introduced by Lundberg.

Pre-analytic automation

Pre-Analytic steps including test ordering, sample collection, patient identification, and correct sample tubes can be brought in an intelligent test tube collection management system, which can be integrated with the LIS/HIS system.

This intelligent system selects and recognises the correct tubes as per the ordered tests. This automation in pre- Pre-Analytic phase is very helpful as these initial procedures are usually performed neither in the clinical laboratory nor undertaken at least in part under the control of laboratory personnel.

Once the sample is collected it should be transported immediately through an approved transportation system. The automatic transporting system can be connected with all the collection units to a single sample receiving station in the laboratory. The system is dedicated to one-touch handling and lightning-fast transport of all clinical samples. It supports lean thinking through new working routines. It even reduces the need for potential POCT equipment. More importantly, the transportation system has a sample tracking system with software that allows consistent data collection.

Thus, automation is an objective measure that potentially evaluates all critical care domains such as patient safety, effectiveness, equity, patient-centredness, timeliness and efficiency based on evidence associated with those domains. It can also be implemented in a consistent and comparable manner across settings and over time.

Conclusion

The implementation of Pre-Analytic automation in the laboratory is a fundamental step in providing sound evidence of quality. Automation also plays a key role in ensuring that the targeted continuous improvement activities aiming to reduce the risk of errors in clinical practice are undertaken. Consistent data collection through an automation system and the software automatically results in effective quality improvement.

References available on request.

Dr. Sumi Koshy is the Quality Manager at AgileLab.

This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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The healthcare sector is on the rise across the Gulf region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where plans to boost the industry to help diversify the economy away from oil and gas are continuing apace. Technology, digitalisation, and healthcare consumers with greater awareness of healthcare trends have driven a large organic improvement in the industry’s fortunes, backed by government and private investments.

In addition, the last few years have seen more states impose mandatory health insurance rules, driving demand for insurance from individuals and private companies. Populations have become older, richer, and less healthy, as sedentary lifestyles increase obesity rates – and therefore the rate of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes.

Indeed, across the entire MENA region, the healthcare market is forecast to grow from US$185.5 billion to US$243.6 billion in 2023, representing not just the incredible strides the sector has made in recent years, but also its enormous potential to continue growing as investors move in and consumers become aware of its opportunities.

Digital healthcare on the rise

Digital health is one of the major trends shaping healthcare in the Middle East. Throughout the region, healthcare providers and consumers alike are rapidly waking up to the opportunities posed by digital healthcare in the post-pandemic world, particularly in countries with already high digital penetration such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Among the most common digital healthcare products are:

• Online pharmacies, allowing consumers order pharmaceutical products and manage electronic prescriptions.
• Teleconsulting – remote interactions between doctors and patients
• Home diagnostics – online portals scheduling appointments
• Wellness apps for helping consumers make healthier life choices

According to McKinsey, the market for digital healthcare products in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is set to reach US$4 billion by 2026, driven by greater consumer awareness and the increasing convenience offered by these services.

McKinsey surveyed around 1,400 consumers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, drawing some key conclusions about the development of digital healthcare services in those countries, which may also apply to the wider GCC region.

The survey found that awareness of digital health solutions is already high, particularly in online pharmacies and teleconsulting. It found that these have relatively high adoption rates, with high user retention rates. Between 64 per cent and 87 per cent of consumers who have used digital-health apps continue to use them – this is chiefly because of the convenience, time efficiency, and affordability they offer.

Digital health is particularly important for competitiveness within the healthcare sector, as agile tech startups and e-commerce companies face a relatively low barrier to entry compared to traditional healthcare solutions.

Health insurance continues to grow

According to Businesswire, the health and medical insurance market in the Middle East is expected to boast a CAGR of more than six per cent over the next few years.

Insurers have had a good time during the COVID-19 pandemic; unsurprisingly, claims increased, and many companies managed to leverage those opportunities to introduce pandemic-specific policies.

Health and medical insurance have particularly high market penetration in Saudi Arabia and the UAE – indeed, in the latter, residents are compelled by law to have health insurance, typically provided by employers.

The UAE has also witnessed an increase in individual insurance policies. This is partly driven by an increase in health conditions related to obesity. In the UAE, more than 68 per cent of adults are overweight, leading to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.

The market is extremely competitive. In Dubai alone, there are more than 75 insurance firms currently licensed by the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation. The market’s major player is the National Health Insurance Company, which provides health insurance programmes on behalf of the government. Other major private providers include Cigna, which has targeted expatriates; it has found a niche in providing family health cover to expats in international small- or medium-sized enterprises.

Challenges and opportunities ahead

COVID-19 increased demand for more insurance and innovative healthcare solutions. Major insurance brokers and disruptive new firms alike have risen to the challenge across the Gulf region. As regional governments pour more investment into the sector and cultivate more public-private partnerships, the space for international firms to enter the healthcare market can only widen.

One of the major opportunities for new market entrants is in long-term care, something to which the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn more attention. Long-term care facilities require less real estate than traditional healthcare facilities, resulting in a lower barrier to entry and higher potential returns for potential investors. This will make it an attractive prospect, although regulatory constraints in some states still present a challenge.

Nevertheless, the Gulf region’s healthcare sector has made enormous strides over the last few years. Emerging technologies and health trends will only add to its potential.

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This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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Mubadala Health’s recent expansion of its portfolio of premium healthcare brands to the centrally located Sunset Mall in Jumeirah, has enabled residents from Dubai and the northern emirates access to world-class treatments and advanced technology, facilitated by a clinical team of experts with extensive knowledge and experience.

The new facility provides patients of all ages with convenient access to day surgery, outpatient consultations, and comprehensive diagnostic services for over 30 clinical specialties delivered by best-in-class caregivers in accordance with international care standards and supported by cutting-edge research and world-class education.

Mubadala Health’s new venture in Dubai also includes satellite clinics for both Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, which was recently named as the United Arab Emirates' top hospital in the 2022 World’s Best Hospitals Index, and Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, the region’s leading provider of specialised, holistic care for individuals with diabetes and endocrine disorders.

Building on the cultural shift toward patient-centered care, the facility’s architectural and operational layout was designed to ensure a seamless patient journey.

“The expansion of Mubadala Health in Dubai enables us to deliver premium healthcare to a wider population of UAE citizens, residents and visitors, providing them with access to international expertise offered by reputable specialists. Mubadala Health Dubai is the result of nurturing a culture of patient-centric care over the last few years, which epitomises our vision for a contemporary, integrated healthcare offering driven by patient experience and precision medicine to accelerate the delivery of high-quality care across the region,” said Hasan Jasem Al Nowais, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Health.

“Mubadala Health Dubai consolidates our expertise and ambition to provide patient-centered, high-quality care. Delivering specialised services in a tranquil setting, we provide patients with dependable treatments that aim to maximise convenience and enhance recovery outcomes,” highlighted Dr. Rizwana Popatia, Medical Director, Mubadala Health Dubai. She added, “We utilise the best healthcare practices and technologies to provide hospital-level care in a comfortable outpatient setting delivered by internationally qualified physicians and nurses.’’

“Patient-centricity permeates every facet of our clinic. You will see it as you enter the building. We have disassembled the typical features of a clinic and redesigned it as a patient experience based on delivering the greatest quality care in a serene setting. To further improve patient care, we have also deployed BioIntelliSense remote monitoring technologies. This has allowed us to remotely monitor the health of recently discharged patients who can now rest at home under the remote supervision of medical professionals, making rehabilitation a more convenient and relaxed process. With these touchpoints, we intend to significantly alter how people experience healthcare,” shared Cassie Purvey, Director of Clinical Operations, Mubadala Health Dubai.

Mubadala Health Dubai offers services within and beyond orthopaedics, endocrinology, diabetes, paediatrics, and rehabilitation. In addition to providing testing and care to patients of all ages, the clinic is equipped with a stress test room that can conduct cardiac testing on school-aged children and facilities to host the Fit to Fly test, which simulates an aircraft cabin environment to monitor infants, children, and adults with respiratory issues caused by cabin pressure.

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This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

One of the most important megatrends, and perhaps most underrated, that impacts the global economy and society is Sheconomy. Women are undergoing life-altering changes compared to their grandmothers; we live in the era of the new woman.

What is different about this new woman?

By 2030, 45 per cent of women aged 25 to 44 will be single; women are also delaying getting married, which means the new average age to have children has been pushed back to 35. The social media revolution has transformed society and culture, and women are defining everything about their life based on social influencers who set new standards. Among social influencers, 84 per cent are women (who are paid less), compared to only 16 per cent of men. Interestingly, 86 per cent of women use influencers for purchasing decisions and advice, including healthcare.

Social media and other trends of the latest generations are driving changes in our society — self-care, wellness, food, education, and healthcare are experiencing a surge, driven by the new woman. Given enough time for Sheconomy and other related trends, industries are going to have to change. Is healthcare prepared?

Women’s health: The rise of Sheconomy

There will be 4.3 billion women in the world by 2030; however, the women’s health industry is not yet mainstream.

• The market is comprised of 1,300+ companies; 98 per cent are start-ups.
• There are 1,290+ investors.
• There is approximately US$1.7 million in start-up funding (2021), which is only ~5-6 per cent of total digital health funding.
• There are three unicorns: Maven Clinic, Kindbody and Clue.
• The estimated total revenue for femtech will reach US$3.35 billion by 2025 for fertility, menstrual care, pregnancy care, pelvic health, menopausal care, and mental health.
• Changes must be implemented in how we approach women’s health, in unison with healthcare dynamics, to enable this industry to go mainstream.

Sheconomy 2030: Changing healthcare approaches

Healthcare as an industry is transforming dramatically as well. Much has been said about how the pandemic has brought about a digital revolution and how we are now talking more about health equity, personalised medicine, and social determinants of health. But what do all these fancy terms mean in relation to women and their health needs?

Health equity

The basis of gender equity starts with health equity. Of course, this area has made enormous strides in the past few years. But with respect to women’s health, we are only now moving past recognition of these needs in the ask for gender equality. We are moving away from just watching and recognising that women’s health is an important component of health equity. This is, therefore, going to be the decade of action, which means four things for women’s health:

• Equitable access to affordable, quality care.
• Right to choose a care option.
• Women-specific research and clinical trials to better diagnose and treat women’s health issues.
• Catering to unaddressed needs of women in developing nations.

Personalised medicine

What is missing from this conversation is the aspect of gender when delivering “personalised care.” Today, we know for a fact that we are no longer simply women with certain features that define us. We are unique in every single cell in our body to men. Additionally, we know that the current model of healthcare that has been built ‘by men, for men’ no longer works for either men or women equivocally. We need to be asking different questions today. The question we really should be asking is: should care delivery be gender-specific?

Why this outcry? It is clinically acknowledged that women experience certain chronic conditions and their treatments (impact, side effects and outcomes) differently than men. The list is large and includes mental health disorders, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, osteoporosis, and probably others. Yet, we don’t have different treatment regimens, clinical protocols, or even drug doses for women.

Simply put, we need a framework for action that will enable us to look at women’s healthcare differently. That framework encompasses two big aspects:

Clinical research and development: Equitable representation of women in current research and clinical trials (even to the extent of women-specific research trials to better understand disease and treatment impacts on women) and higher investment and funding to enable this, will eventually lead to better clinical protocols, policies, and regulations to guide improved health outcomes in women.

Care delivery transformation: This needs to be reviewed from a woman’s needs point of view. Do we have enough doctors and specialists trained to deal with this new reality? Do we have enough programs in medical school and enough time spent on teaching the next generation of doctors about these issues? Simply put, do we have gender equity training in medical schools?

Our proposed framework for care delivery transformation has three components:

Sex-specific care: Health needs that are anatomy-specific, e.g., addressing women’s health issues across all ages with holistic prevention, care and treatment.

Sex-aware care: Care for conditions diagnosed/treated differently in women than in men. The set of “atypical” symptoms and severity of the chronic conditions that are different in women calls for differentiated care and treatment, e.g., Zimmer Holdings Inc.’s gender-specific solution for its high-flex knee implant, designed with the anatomical differences in women’s and men’s knees in mind.

Gender-sensitive care: Care provided in ways that reflect gender-specific preferences. NIRAMAI Analytics, an Indian company, is fighting social myths and taboos by creating a breast-cancer screening solution, which is a no-touch and no-see procedure. The technician (male at times) stays outside of the screening booth, so the woman is comfortable.

This is not an easy feat. But with concerted efforts by governments, policy-makers, healthcare products and services vendors, clinicians, and women, we could make this a reality, helping achieve the true meaning of health equity and personalised medicine.

Reenita Das is a healthcare futurist and strategist, as well as the Partner and Senior Vice-President, Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, Frost & Sullivan.

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This article appears in the latest issue of Omnia Health Magazine. Read the full issue online today.

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