Digital healthcare continues to push the boundaries of how healthcare is delivered. Early in the pandemic, telehealth usage surged as consumers and providers sought ways to safely access and deliver healthcare. In April 2020, overall telehealth utilisation for office visits and outpatient care was 78 times higher than in February 2020. But will the telehealth momentum continue in the post-pandemic world?

Strong continued uptake, favourable consumer perception, and tangible investment into this space are all contributing to the continued growth of telehealth. New analysis by Mckinsey indicates that telehealth use in 2022 has increased 38X from the pre-COVID-19 baseline. This step-change, borne out of necessity, was enabled by these factors:

• increased consumer willingness to use telehealth
• increased provider willingness to use telehealth
• regulatory changes enabling greater access and reimbursement.

During the tragedy of the pandemic, telehealth offered a bridge to care, and now it offers a chance to reinvent virtual and hybrid virtual/in-person care models, with the goal of improved healthcare access, outcomes, and affordability.

It is estimated that up to US$250 billion of US healthcare spending could potentially be shifted to virtual or virtually-enabled care. Approaching this potential level of virtual health is not a foregone conclusion. It would likely require sustained consumer and clinician adoption and accelerated redesign of care pathways to incorporate virtual modalities. I believe full-stack consumer health tech companies, operating infrastructure networks of dedicated virtual clinics and cloud pharmacies, are well-positioned to embrace this massive opportunity.

But what does this consumer health tech company look like? Start by imagining that UnitedHealth Group and Google had merged into a new company, and that company has the business model of UHG (a vertically integrated insurer and deliverer of healthcare services) but the sleek consumer experience and brand loyalty of Google. In the past decade, we have seen US-based companies seize this opportunity by building for consumers in healthcare, and many multi-billion dollar full-stack care delivery companies have emerged, including Ro, OneMedical and PillPack.

In the MENA region, Alma Health is already operating a network of virtual clinics and cloud pharmacies in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Cairo and Riyadh to simplify the lives of people living with chronic conditions. Alma Health’s users have never been in person to these clinics or pharmacies, yet they received an end-to-end healthcare experience powered through the mobile application. Our rapidly growing company served thousands of out-of-pocket and insured users. Strong continued uptake, favourable consumer perception, the regulatory environment, and strong investment into this space are all contributing to the company’s growth.

Even with these enablers, challenges remain to be worked through to realise the full potential of virtual care in MENA and globally; the need for better data integration and improved data flows across the various players in the ecosystem is essential. There’s also a need for better integration of the virtual health-related activities into day-to-day workflows of clinicians, to enable fully virtual care models. Finally, an alignment of incentives for virtual health activities with the broader movement toward value-based care is needed, to soften the fee-for-service mentality and the worry about reimbursement parity, especially for the virtual health models that aim to reduce cost of care.

Operating a full-fledged virtual care model is quickly evolving. To fully utilise the model, new ways of working among the virtual and brick-and-mortar providers are needed including a step-change improvement in information exchange and broadening access and integration of technology. Innovations around virtual longitudinal care (both primary and specialty), enablement of care at home through remote patient monitoring and self-diagnostics, investment in “digital front doors,” and experimentation with hybrid “online/offline” models will bring new care models for consumers that help achieve healthcare’s ultimate goal of improved clinical outcomes.

The potential impact is improved convenience and access to care, better patient outcomes, and a more efficient healthcare system.

Khaldoon Bushnaq is the CEO and co-founder of Alma Health.

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

< Back to Technology

 

Technology is significantly advancing the way we diagnose and treat patients. In recent times, telehealth and in-home healthcare increasingly became integrated into our daily lives, which further gave birth to the metaverse in healthcare.

Metaverse is effectively the next version of the internet — one that will take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and connectivity to create online environments that are more immersive, experiential and interactive than what we have today.

In the healthcare industry, the metaverse is also rapidly gaining traction. AI, AR, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, quantum computing, and robotics are all expected to change healthcare delivery and enhance patient outcomes. The metaverse involves the convergence of major technology trends that have the potential to impact healthcare individually.

Together, they could create entirely new channels for delivering care that have the potential to lower costs and vastly improve patient outcomes. These three trends are telepresence (allowing people to be together virtually, even while we’re apart physically), digital twinning, and blockchain.

It may sound like science fiction today, but it is the next step in the way we deliver healthcare, say experts. It was not too long ago that having a doctor visit your home was not unusual. That is going to happen again, except this time technology is being used as an enabler.

Healthcare leaders need to understand how these innovations can address the pain points for both customers and employees because the metaverse is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. According to a report titled ‘Healthcare in the Metaverse’ from Market Research Future, the healthcare metaverse market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 48.3 per cent until 2030, with the industry’s value expected to top US$5.37 billion.

In recent years, augmented reality and virtual reality technologies have advanced tremendously, and they are now frequently employed in medical training, teaching modules, and surgical procedures to perform complex surgeries with extreme precision. These components are also employed in medical devices and equipment software and hardware to improve their performance.

In an earlier interview with Omnia Health Insights in 2022, Aravind Upadhyaya, Founder and CEO of 8chilli said that health systems and educational institutions that do not embrace this advanced technology for better patient care and training needs will lose the battle in the next eight years.

He also said: “I see an acceleration in the adoption of digital health technologies, especially wearables followed by AR/VR and therapeutics. In the long-term, Web 3.0, or the metaverse as we now call it, will play a key role in the healthcare ecosystem as countries invest more time in the metaverse. Healthcare is moving towards value-based care and VR delivers the superior outcomes required to achieve value-based care.”

This year’s Arab Health, with its newly launched Intelligent Health Pavilion, outlined the most innovative and sustainable healthcare technologies through live demonstrations at the Future Health Summit held in the Museum of the Future.

“The healthcare industry has witnessed incredible changes in recent years, with technology and innovation the driving force behind how the industry is elevating patient care,” said Ross Williams, Exhibition Director for Informa Markets.

The Intelligent Health Pavilion will feature three demonstration rooms showcasing several new technologies through live demonstrations including a digital Intensive Care Unit (ICU), an intelligent operating room, and an emergency room.

“The summit is dedicated to trailblazers. From AI and robotics to the role of the metaverse, the healthcare industry is continuously evolving because of cutting-edge technology combined with innovative leaders committed to improving patient outcomes,” Williams said.

He added: “The metaverse is expected to disrupt healthcare and open new channels of treatment while lowering costs. The predicted growth within this market is huge, and we have only explored the tip of the iceberg.”

The Future Health Summit provided an invaluable look at how everyone in the healthcare industry can maximise what it offers.

Earlier this year, UAE healthcare company Thumbay Group announced its own intentions to build a virtual hospital where doctors and patients can meet as avatars for remote consultations. Thumbay Group and the Gulf Medical University are also working together to incorporate Virtual Reality (VR) into medical training.

While metaverse skeptics might argue that such initiatives are little more than telehealth with 3D glasses, another project unveiled at the GITEX 2022 conference in the Dubai World Trade Centre is proving that remote medical treatment can go beyond consultations to treatment.

Discover more about managing healthcare data in the metaverse era in our latest eBook

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

< Back to Technology

 

Several early-career scientists submitted research proposals as part of AstraZeneca’s R&D Postdoctoral Challenge in March 2022 to accelerate drug discovery across some of the world’s most challenging medical concerns.

Among the six winners from Africa, Middle East and Europe was UAE-based researcher, Dr. Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan, who is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Sharjah. Her research on microbiome-based therapeutics demonstrated a substantial impact on patients and healthcare systems.

As a result, she received a fully supported postdoctoral research position with access to AstraZeneca’s knowledge, compounds, novel tools and technologies, as well as mentorship support. In addition, she was given the opportunity to pursue fully funded, two-year research positions in one of AstraZeneca’s strategically located R&D facilities in Cambridge (UK), Gaithersburg (US), and Gothenburg (Sweden).

Excerpts from an interview with Dr. Ramakrishnan:

Please elaborate on your proposal on a multi-OMICS approach to analyse the airway microbiome and associated metabolome in asthma.

There has been a growing interest in microbiome research spread across various parts of the body. I am particularly interested in the airway microbiome and how it is increasingly associated with overall lung health.

Many studies have demonstrated that the airway microbiome is home to diverse microbial communities and suggest a distinct airway microbiome in those with chronic respiratory diseases. The complex bacterial communities in our lungs have an important function to promote and maintain a state of immune tolerance, preventing undesirable inflammatory response caused by inhalation of environmental stimuli.

Airway dysbiosis is characterised by an altered composition of the airway microbiome and every study to date has shown a clear aberration in microbial composition and diversity in asthmatic airways compared to healthy subjects. While this dictates many aspects of asthma, it needs to be understood further on a molecular level.

My research interest is centred on the role of mitochondria – known as the ‘powerhouse of the cell’ – and how its dysfunction can lead to a diseased state. My focus is on better characterising the metabolic interaction between the airway microbiome and host in asthma and proving that airway dysbiosis predisposes the airway cells to mitochondrial dysfunction due to a dysregulation in the microbial metabolite profile.

To do so, a multi-OMICS approach is notable due to its ability as a research tool to uncover meaningful messages from the wealth of biological and sequencing data available from multiple “omes” – such as the microbiome transcriptome and metabolome among several others. This tool has immense potential in developing a comprehensive understanding of the mitochondrial changes that occur during asthma development, bringing us a step closer to potentially unlocking a new way to treat asthma patients.

Tell us about the significance of winning the AstraZeneca R&D Postdoctoral Challenge, especially in your area of research.

These initiatives are incredible for early career researchers, as it gives us the opportunity to challenge ourselves and develop innovative research ideas. More importantly, it helps us potentially transform the way certain overlooked diseases are treated and translate these ideas into improved outcomes for patients.

Asthma is a particularly complex and sometimes overlooked disease that has interested me for a while, which is why I appreciate the platform that the R&D Postdoctoral Challenge provided me.

COVID-19 offered a significant lesson for us on the immense potential of collaboration. When we fight on a united front, as we did at the height of the pandemic, we can achieve rapid breakthroughs in science to the benefit of people in most need of care.

Dr. Rakhee K. Ramakrishnan

Mitochondrial metabolism and airway dysbiosis are niche topics. How does mitochondrial metabolism, together with autophagy, regulate stress responses?

Mitochondria sit at the heart of my research and speciality. They not only sense cellular insults such as allergens, infection, and inflammation among other aberrations, but also have the potential to respond quickly to these challenges. While asthma is not conventionally seen as a mitochondrial disease, mitochondrial dysfunction is known to drive various disease features specific to asthma. This is what triggered my interest in taking a closer look at the mitochondria in airway structural cells to understand how their dysregulation drives subepithelial fibrosis in asthma during my PhD at the University of Sharjah.

Considering the complexity of the airway microbiome, which represents not just one microbial community but an entire ecosystem, I have a great appreciation for multi-OMICS as a research tool as it simultaneously integrates data from different omics to offer a more comprehensive view. A condition like asthma involving several complex interactions requires a certain level of resolution for proper examination. Multi-OMICS is a rather powerful research tool at our disposal to serve this end.

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

Back to Clinical

One of the greatest threats to human health today is climate change. Right from Pakistan to Sudan and the United States, we have seen floods and wildfires wreak havoc across all continents last year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 14 million people die each year from environmental health risks, with harmful emissions causing cancer, heart and respiratory diseases, and premature death.

Climate change events also disrupt healthcare by restraining access to care and jeopardising food security. The phenomenon is likely to force millions of people to migrate, causing stress on healthcare infrastructures and leading to more mental health issues among the population. At the same time, globally, we are still trying to emerge from COVID-19, which has presented an unprecedented challenge to public health.

To protect the health and well-being of our societies and future generations, the need to rapidly rebuild a sustainable and resilient healthcare system that can adapt and respond to the climate crisis has never been greater. To be sustainable, placing healthcare at the centre of climate negotiations is crucial.

What does sustainability mean in healthcare?

According to reports, the health sector is responsible for 4.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. These contribute to the quality of air, water and other natural resources, impacting the health of communities. Health costs generated by climate change and pollution are reportedly estimated to be US$820 billion annually.

WHO describes an environmentally sustainable health system as one that “improves, maintains or restores health, while minimising negative impacts on the environment and leveraging opportunities to restore and improve it, to the benefit of the health and well-being of current and future generations.”

To put it simply, sustainable healthcare works to deliver high-quality care without damaging the environment. But, as global temperatures rise, the risk is that the burden on the healthcare industry is set to increase further.

Opportunities to build a sustainable healthcare architecture

There is an opportunity for countries to develop national climate adaptation plans with a health focus. Moreover, close partnerships between government, private and public sectors to invest in sustainable healthcare solutions are critical to catalysing climate action. Below are a few approaches that can help achieve this goal:

Decarbonisation: As one of the biggest producers of waste, hospitals use up enormous amounts of energy, chemicals, and water. With an increased emphasis on sustainability, hospitals need to look at using resources in a way that will not adversely affect the population’s health. This could include considering ways to limit their carbon emissions by leveraging energy efficiency, green building design, and being mindful of transportation, food, waste and water consumption.

Hospitals can build climate resilience and sustainability into their services by becoming proactive. For example, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) aims to reach net zero by 2045. To achieve this, the NHS is working to reduce emissions directly from healthcare activity, such as surgeries and inpatient treatments, ambulances and medications, as well as indirectly purchased resources, such as energy, to deliver services. It also focuses on indirect activity, including the medical supply chain, how patients and workers get around, and how waste is managed.

Resilience: As we saw during the height of the pandemic, hospitals had to quickly adapt and redesign spaces to be prepared to deal with the influx of patients. However, that happened as a consequence of the situation. Hospitals today need to invest in partnerships, become more resilient, and be prepared for massive and sudden crises in advance, allowing them to respond faster and more efficiently.

An example of this is the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR), which has been initiated by the London School of Economics (LSE), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and AstraZeneca. The partnership was motivated by a shared commitment to improving population health. From new models of care and innovative financing mechanisms, PHSSR is looking to identify transferrable solutions to deliver better healthcare.

Innovation: Innovative solutions can help to speed and scale up the response to climate change. Hospitals can start using electric vehicles and ambulances in their fleet. When it comes to food, they can opt for local, organic and sustainable foods. And where possible, institutions can reduce, reuse and recycle without compromising patient safety. Opting for sustainable energy sources, such as solar or wind energy, can also help bring down costs and decrease their carbon footprint.

Incorporating innovative technology can significantly improve workflow efficiencies. As seen successfully during the pandemic, telehealth is helpful for appointments where physical exams are not required. Doctors and patients can use these platforms to decrease the amount of travel needed and reduce carbon emissions.

Green by design: The air we breathe, the light we are exposed to, and the noise we hear are all components of an indoor environment. Today, there is a need to design environmentally friendly healthcare facilities that are integrated with nature and actively promote healthier choices. Incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, such as energy or carbon emission reductions inherent in the green building rating systems and certification requirements, ensure the buildings can promote health and well-being in the near term while preserving resources and protecting the environment. The facilities can reduce energy consumption through efficiency and conservation measures and use clean, renewable energy to run daily operations.

For instance, Cleveland Clinic in the U.S. is committed to addressing the intrinsic link between an individual’s health and environment. The hospital reportedly uses environmentally friendly technologies for lighting, ergonomics, and air and water quality that support the health of patients and communities. The organisation’s green building efforts have enabled it to reduce its facilities’ energy and carbon intensity by 25 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively, since 2010.

Conclusion

Healthcare is an essential service to society and delivering it sustainably will ensure that a good quality of life will be maintained in the coming years. The opportunities mentioned above are the first steps on the journey of sustainability. The transformation to a sustainable facility doesn’t happen overnight and requires planning and foresight. It requires a commitment to start now and to be engaged for the long term.

References available on request

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

< Back to Management

 

Omnia Health Insights and its contributors share key insights into the obstacles the healthcare industry in the UAE and across GCC countries faces and the strategies leaders can implement to overcome these. Download the exclusive e-book [HERE]

We are fortunate to live in an era where the convergence of advanced technology and biology allows us to translate the human genome into data that can accelerate diagnoses and cures.

The promise of the genomic revolution has existed since the first human genome sequencing project. From creating genetically targeted drug treatments, diagnosing rare diseases, detecting cancers early, and developing mRNA vaccines, like the one used to combat COVID-19, sequencing the gene is the future of healthcare.

Genome sequencing benefits

Advanced genome sequencing technologies uncover personalised pathways of cures for affected patients worldwide, enabling doctors and researchers to predict prevention strategies for a particular disease for every individual.

In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, precision medicine aims to tailor the right treatment for the right patient at the right time by using innovations such as biomarkers, targeted therapies, and data.

Every living organism has a specific genetic code, or genome, that serves as a DNA fingerprint. By sequencing the genome, we can transform the traditional healthcare paradigm as we move away from the one-size-fits-all model.

In the Middle East, there is a growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases including diabetes and cancer that are responsible for 77 per cent of all fatalities in the UAE and have a higher-than-average occurrence at seven per cent of the population compared to the global average of two to six per cent.

Now more than ever, understanding and treatment of rare and oncology diseases are set to benefit significantly from genomic data. Patients get treatment tailored to their genetic makeup, with a greater chance of success, delivering value to the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Genome sequencing methods

To provide insights and facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, rare and metabolic diseases, and other genetic conditions in the region, Biogenix Labs, for instance, have over 250 comprehensive clinical genetic testing panels that use state-of-the-art sequencing technologies with the shortest turnaround time.

Sequencing as a service solution also profoundly impacts population genome programmes, drug development, research, and health systems worldwide. The Omics Centre of Excellence in Masdar City, on the other hand, has a sequencing capability of over 500,000 WGS samples per year with a quick turnaround time, leveraging the power of three world-leading sequencing platforms.

Translating biological samples into high-quality genomic sequencing and proteomics data is a challenge in developing countries that need the right technical know-how, sample processing infrastructure, and access to talent.

To globalise sequencing, G42 Healthcare partnered with Amazon Web Services, which ensures quick and efficient global data storage and transfer to clients anywhere at any time. It enables access to best-in-class multi-omics technologies to sample rich but resource-poor, underserved territories such as Africa.

Scalable, bespoke sequencing solutions for clinical, consumer and research purposes are driving a revolutionary shift toward precision medicine, where the data is being used in population genomic programmes, identification of novel drug targets in clinical trials, in research, and serve the biopharma and biotech industry.

The strategic partnership with AWS accelerates time to insights and helps deliver at scale yet with agility. The collaboration will now mean that governments, research institutes, pharma, and biobanks worldwide can partner with G42 Healthcare and their globally leading Omics infrastructure seamlessly.

Data has the potential to optimise future health outcomes. By democratising data, meaningful information is being put into the hands of governments, scientific researchers, and physicians; this is fundamental to driving change.

The UAE is among a few countries in the MENA region that is adopting modern and innovative healthcare approaches. We are glad to be operating in such an ecosystem where we have used advanced sequencing capabilities to facilitate the Emirati Genome Program. Our scale and advanced sequencing technology are expected to produce a reference genome specific to UAE citizens and aid in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

To strengthen clinical genomics, G42 Healthcare partnered with Swiss precision medicine company Saphetor’s VarSome bioinformatics platform and with leading US-based diagnostics, genomics, and biotech company ProPhase Labs.

Partnerships like these enable and expand the scale and scope of best-in-class sequencing as a service offering. We hope this will strengthen efforts to reinforce UAE’s reputation as the regional innovation hub in healthcare and life sciences.

Beyond genomics, the partnership with SomaLogic, a leader in data-driven proteomics technology, will bring world-class proteomics to the region, a significant step to providing multi-omics in the region and beyond.

As healthcare moves towards prevention rather than cure, genomics puts the patient rather than the disease at the centre. It promises to revolutionise people’s ideas of healthcare and the disease itself.

Dr. Fahed Al Marzooqi is the Chief Operating Officer, G42 Healthcare

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

Back to Laboratory

Mediclinic Middle East’s Shared Allied Services is committed to providing solutions for the healthcare challenges of today by integrating the latest technologies and diagnostic capabilities in radiology, laboratory, and precision medicine. It further aims to bridge the gap in research and innovation for an accelerated response to future needs and demands.

As its director, Dr. Ramzy Ross is passionate about creating sustainable and pioneering approaches that deliver effective results. He enables this by applying learnings from various areas of healthcare, health sciences, innovation and technology, and research.

While healthcare data represents one-third of all the data collected around the globe, a significant majority (about 95 per cent) of this data is not effectively being used by healthcare organisations to help improve patient care, according to a recent report by Intel. Driven by this fact, Dr. Ross said that wielding the power of data is at the heart of everything Mediclinic does.

“Advancing approaches with new ways of working, digitisation of workflows, patient engagement and harnessing the power of data and smart analytics all form part of our approach. Fundamentally, this will continually contribute to enhancing experiences and outcomes for patients under our care,” said Dr. Ross, whose background is  in cardiac and respiratory diagnostics with interests in precision medicine, radiology and laboratory services.

Securing access to better health

Shared Allied Services at Mediclinic Middle East continues to evolve its continuum of care with key strategic approaches that are built on the foundation of quality, evidence-based healthcare whilst also ensuring accessibility and delivery of care is provided in the best way possible.

“Our approach is not only about the treatment of poor health but being preventative’ (of ill health and disease) and supportive on the maintenance of good health. This is key to our approach and is enabling us to take healthcare to new advanced levels,” Dr. Ross added.

As a result, Mediclinic Middle East widens its focus to the whole population versus only on individuals that use healthcare for treatment purposes alone. “Fundamentally, this approach is enabling us to expand our healthcare provisions,” he added.

Adoption of strategic approaches

Mediclinic Middle East is currently in the process of developing and delivering a regionally leading ‘integrated diagnostics’ approach to provide clinicians with streamlined and seamless inputs of data from a range of diagnostics services.

“This is to ensure that our clinicians are even better positioned and informed to provide increasingly higher standards and personalised care to patients faster,” said Dr. Ross.

The enhanced holistic approach features inputs from precision medicine (such as genomics), laboratory, radiology , and pharmacogenetics alongside functional medicine approaches, which specifically look at lifestyle, nutrition, behaviour, and psycho-social factors.

“Further, we are continually focused on expanding our testing capabilities and molecular biology will increasingly play an important role here. In addition, we are looking to add validated functional medicine-related testing capabilities, covering areas such as microbiome, proteomics, and hormone assays, among others,” he added.

Generally, our development approach takes various forms from hardware to software. For instance, AI-based supportive diagnostics solutions in radiology to cutting-edge technologies in genomic medicine including next-generation sequencing and applications of molecular genetics on disease diagnoses (for example, infections and cancers).

Diagnostics challenges and patient care

The field of diagnostics is fast-paced with the need to be highly responsive to patient and clinical needs, while maintaining high service quality and short turnaround time standards. Efficiency is also under scrutiny when responding to unique challenges such as the pandemic or other crises.

“Technology, innovation and approaches are evolving at a remarkable pace, so we are continually working to ensure that we not only keep up with the pace of developments but also lead change in our service provisions and offerings to continually secure our position as a leading provider,” said Dr. Ross.

Shared Allied Services at Mediclinic Middle East aligns itself with rapidly evolving technologies and regulatory frameworks as it works on improving its versatility and responsiveness. Considering this requires multiple departments to function effectively with one another within the organisation, the healthcare provider is always working to improve related processes.

Understanding the potential of pharmacogenetics

Pharmacogenetics represents a key pillar of Mediclinic’s precision medicine offering and the approach enables them to continually improve individualised patient care.

For instance, plans are underway to launch testing capabilities in focus areas such as cardiology, diabetes and neurology, where medications can be customised according to patient-specific genetic profiles, which according to Dr. Ross, means fundamentally contributing to better clinical outcomes for patients.

Future of precision medicine

Mediclinic’s Shared Allied Services has various key areas under development from portable and wearable diagnostics, point-of-care testing to AI applications for supportive diagnostics purposes alongside digitisation of approaches from digital pathology to patient engagement and related care coordination

“We are very much focused on continually improving how we can harness the power of technology and data, and so, all our strategies are backed by this approach, not only with the goal of keeping people healthy but to also pioneer and evolve with new partnerships to identify and solve gaps in care. We aim to improve clinical outcomes alongside health and well-being,” Dr. Ross concluded.

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

< Back to Management

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic autoimmune condition which typically presents in two forms: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Affecting more than 10 million people worldwide, the prevalence of IBD is believed to be the highest in the Western world. Estimates reveal, however, that the incidence of UC and CD is approximately 2.33 and 1.46 per 100,000 persons per year in the Arab world, with rates in the Middle East rising steadily in recent years, with prevalence expected to rise 2.3-fold between 2020 to 2035. The rising incidence will have significant repercussions on patients and healthcare systems if unchecked and not managed in early stages of the disease.

Commonly diagnosed among patients between 15 and 40 years of age, symptoms of IBD include fatigue, abdominal pain, irregular bowel movements and weight loss, and are often unpredictable, making disease management challenging and adding to the cost burden and the rate of healthcare services utilisation. A life-long and often debilitating condition, patients often suffer both physically and mentally. Feelings of shame, isolation, and body dissatisfaction, which compromise psychosocial functioning, are often reported because of the disease. IBD patients also frequently present with depression and anxiety, though whether these are a consequence of the disease or an active contributor to the disease remains a point of discussion.

Rodrigo Rodriguez, General Manager, Takeda Middle East 

Adversely affecting quality of life, IBD impacts patients’ ability to perform daily routines, which may lead to frequent sick-leave and unemployment, resulting in workplace productivity losses. It also increases their use of healthcare services, including outpatient clinics and emergency room visits, inpatient hospital admissions, ambulatory procedures, surgeries, and pharmacological treatment, resulting in higher healthcare costs which can leave some patients with out-of-pocket expenditures.

Overall, the cost of care for IBD have increased in the last five years, driven by specific therapeutics and disease characteristics. While exact figures are hard to come by for the region, some stats are indicative of the cost to healthcare systems. A US-based study, for example, suggests that on a per-annual basis, patients with IBD incur more than a three-fold higher cost of care compared with non-IBD controls. In treating IBD, biologics are extensively used in the diseases’ management, particularly CD, their cost is significantly higher than non-biologics. In KSA, a study  placed the total costs of UC and CD management over five years at SAR 235.9 million and SAR 430.6 million based on a prevalence of 0.24 per cent and 0.2 per cent, respectively.

As a result of the growing incidence and cost burden of IBD, there is an urgent need to enhance IBD treatment by providing education, training, and knowledge-sharing platforms so that healthcare practitioners and facilities are better equipped to support patient needs. Healthcare systems committed to reducing the cost to both patients and society must focus on identifying how existing healthcare resources can be better optimized for IBD treatment, establishing modern diagnosis methods, supporting education, and expanding treatment access. To realize this goal, researchers, patient groups, healthcare providers and other stakeholders must collaborate on standardizing education and identifying solutions to meet patient needs while advancing cutting-edge scientific research and clinical medicine. These steps can also support better disease management so that IBD patients can realize a healthier and brighter future.

 

References available on request

Any use of transplant surgery and medicine to increase the survival and/or quality of life for cancer patients is referred to as transplant oncology. The current knowledge and trends gained in transplant oncology have provided profound solutions for some of the most aggressive liver diseases including metastatic colon cancer. The success of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, together with developments in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases and immunosuppression, has rekindled interest in liver transplantation as a potential gamechanger for selective patients with non-resectable colorectal liver metastases.

Dr. Cristiano Quintini, Institute Chair, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, says, “The first prospective trial evaluating liver transplantation for non-resectable colorectal liver metastases was the SECA-I study, which proved liver transplantation could be an excellent option in selected patients with unresectable metastatic colon cancer with an estimated five-year survival of 60 percent. By employing stricter selection criteria, the SECA-II trial increased the projected five-year survival to 83 percent. This is in sharp contrast to a 5-year overall survival rate of about 10 percent of patients receiving palliative chemotherapy.”

Slated as a promising area in cancer management, transplant oncology is improving patient outcomes and with it, a surge in activity in this emerging field, with a shift from treating the less aggressive cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma, to focusing on the more aggressive, such as metastatic colon cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.

As the first comprehensive multiorgan transplant center in the country and with the Oncology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art facility and renowned expertise is well positioned through transplant oncology to provide care for many advanced stage liver cancers previously deemed incurable. The transplant oncology program benefits from some of the most advanced surgical techniques and innovations in the field of liver transplantation such as a living donor liver transplantation and advanced systemic chemotherapy and locoregional radiation oncology treatment that are offered before the transplant process begins.

Dr. Quintini says, “Transplant oncology as an evolving field for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic biliary cancer, and liver-only metastasis of non-hepatobiliary origin seems promising. Treatments include the standard allotransplantation procedure, where we transplant an organ or tissue from one individual to another with a different genotype, also called an allograft, to more complex treatment procedures such as ex-vivo liver resection and auto transplantation as alternatives to allotransplantation for end-stage metastatic colon cancer or cholangiocarcinoma. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is the only regional institute that has the necessary know-how and expertise to lead this transformational treatment paradigm shift.”

Additionally, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is soon starting a program to revive and assess injured organs in what will be the first regional organ perfusion center. Ex-vivo machine perfusion of the liver has been an effective approach in recent years for both improved organ preservation and evaluation of organs before transplantation. Lung and kidney perfusion, similarly, has allowed thousands of transplants to be successfully transplanted. Through this method Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi can save and enhance the performance of organs that otherwise would be discarded. This preservation technology allows to keep organs functional outside the body by recreating a near physiologic environment with blood and nutrients pumped through the organ.

“We have a unique ability to treat all levels of colon cancer, from the simplest version to the most complex, advanced case. How we do that is by offering multidisciplinary oncology care that is assisted by a recognized transplant program. With more research being conducted in the transplant oncology area worldwide, survival outcomes for liver transplantation in selected patients with non-resectable colorectal liver metastases will see improved numbers in the foreseeable future and give hope to many patients,” says Dr. Quintini.

With the help of such cutting-edge technology, and as transplant oncology evolves, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will continue to pioneer innovative technologies and treatments which solve medical dilemmas which had previously been considered improbable.

As technology continues to advance exponentially, scientists and technologists are beginning to increasingly explore the possibility of transcending human mortality—a prospect that has long captivated thinkers and innovators since the dawn of humanity.

But this dream is not without its risks. With every potential technological advancement comes worrying implications for our collective security, with some even positing that a tech war could lie on the horizon as nations and individuals vie for control over longevity and immortality.

Before these possibilities have a chance to become realities, does humanity have what it takes to outsmart death? Is eternal life within our reach?

Jeff Bezos eyeing longevity

Reports have suggested that Jeff Bezos is turning his attention to longevity. The Financial Times has recently reported that Bezos has been investing heavily in longevity research and “anti-aging” projects.

Bezos is boldly accelerating the charge to crack the code of age-related decline, as this move also sends a clear signal to many other prominent figures. To lead his audacious venture; Altos Labs, he has tapped into Hal Barron from GlaxoSmithKline for his expertise in what could be a gamechanger–an understanding and ultimate defeat of ageing. Is this possible? What does science tell us about our prospects? One thing is certain: in the next several years, we will see potentially revolutionary developments in fighting off time’s relentless march forward.

While it is too early to tell exactly what Jeff Bezos' plans might be, or if they will lead to any real breakthroughs in the field of life extension, his interest shows that we may be entering an age where the wealthy elite use their resources to try and prolong life indefinitely. With such powerful people pushing the boundaries of current technology, it may soon be possible for humans to live far longer than previously thought.

Dmitry Kaminskiy, General Partner, Deep Knowledge Group

Big tech moves

The collective healthcare investments of big tech firms such as Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Apple surged in 2020 to a staggering $3.7 billion. These companies are increasingly taking an active role in the healthcare industry by investing heavily in various areas such as telemedicine, health data analytics and AI-driven medical devices. This shift towards greater involvement is seen as a move to capitalise on the growing demand for improved patient care while also creating new revenue streams.

The increased focus on healthcare by these major players has been driven primarily by two factors. Firstly, their ability to leverage existing strengths like cloud computing capabilities and data science expertise. Secondly, their desire to diversify beyond digital services into more high-value sectors such as healthcare. For example, Microsoft has launched several initiatives such as HealthVault that allows patients to store medical records securely online while leveraging its Azure cloud platform for advanced analytics capabilities within the sector.

Google is focusing on developing diagnostic tools that utilise machine learning and AI to help diagnose diseases. Meanwhile, Apple has been steadily making headway in the healthcare market with its HealthKit platform, which allows users to track their health data and manage medical records from multiple sources. Facebook is actively exploring new opportunities in the healthcare industry such as developing a portal for patient-doctor interactions and partnering with research laboratories to understand more about social dynamics that affect our wellbeing.

Tech giants are gradually morphing into HealthTech Titans, with their combination of cutting-edge technology and financial muscle proving to be a powerful force in the healthcare realm. In years ahead, we can expect to see a rise in subscription-based Health-as-a-Service, as well as further down the line perhaps something even more ambitious; Longevity-as-a Service.

The current state of human longevity

In recent years, the average life expectancy has greatly increased across the globe and is now estimated to be around 72 years for men and 79 years for women. This is due to a variety of factors, including improved nutrition, hygiene practices, immunizations, and better access to medical care.

In addition to these long-term advances in life expectancy, there are also many other ways that humans are extending their lifespans. Advances in medical technology have enabled us to produce personalised gene therapies for rare diseases which can significantly extend a person's expected lifespan. Other treatments such as cancer vaccines also demonstrate incredible potential for adding years to a person's life. In some cases, even more advanced experimental treatments can provide incredibly promising results for those suffering from diseases that may otherwise prove fatal.

What's causing the increase in life expectancy rates around the world

The increase in life expectancy rates around the world can be attributed to a number of factors, including advancements in medical technology and improved healthcare accessibility. With affordable access to preventive care, people can take better care of their health and enjoy a longer life.

How technology is being used to battle aging and extend life

One example is the growing field of regenerative medicine. By using autologous cells, researchers are able to repair and replace aged tissue with new healthy cells, potentially slowing down or even reversing the effects of aging. Another promising development is gene therapy, which involves changing a person’s DNA to prevent disease or slow the aging process.

The future of human longevity and the impact of AI on our lives

Perhaps one of the most important developments in the field of human longevity is the growth of AI-driven preventive medicine with the focus on early stage deep diagnostic. With public health initiatives and education on nutrition and lifestyle habits such as increasing daily physical activity and maintaining healthy diets, people can make choices that can significantly increase their chances of living longer. Additionally, advances in data science analytics empowered by AI allow us to track our health trends over time more accurately in personalized precision predictive preventive way (P4 longevity medicine) so that we can identify any issues or changes early on. And at that stage the patient can proactively take the role of ‘CEO of their own health and longevity’.

The future of human longevity is a hotly contested debate among scientists, and the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) will have on our lives is equally important. By using AI, scientists are hoping to create advances that can help extend human lifespans, extend periods of healthy and active life, as well as improve the overall quality of life. Using AI, scientists can better understand how our bodies age and break down over time, as well as develop treatments that could potentially even reverse aging.

With AI, medical professionals can more effectively diagnose diseases, ultimately leading to more accurate treatments and improved health outcomes. Additionally, AI can improve the overall efficiency of healthcare systems by streamlining processes such as patient care management and data analysis.