The healthcare system in the MENA region is constantly undergoing technology-driven transformations that have significantly helped optimise services and devise smarter and more efficient solutions for patients. While scientific and technological innovations in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data science, and machine learning have enabled healthcare providers to provide accurate clinical outcomes, the adoption of cloud-based technologies to simplify operations have rapidly gained prominence in the healthcare industry, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
These digital technologies involve the integration of cloud computing technologies and services to store, manage and process healthcare-related data and applications. These technologies present several advantages to healthcare providers including improved accessibility, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and data security. The global cloud computing market for the healthcare industry is expected to reach US$25.54 billion by 2024, with several organisations increasingly using similar strategies to enhance productivity.
The application of cloud-based solutions has resulted in better collaboration across departments and created opportunities for seamless remote healthcare support between providers and patients, allowing the former to share feedback on complex medical cases, and facilitate virtual services and monitoring. By implementing a cloud strategy, organisations ensure better data protection and recovery options, eliminating the risk of losing valuable data.
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Several healthcare organisations in the region have implemented cloud-based Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems to enable healthcare providers to access patient data in real-time, learn about any pre-existing health conductions and design treatment plans accordingly. The UAE’s Medcare Hospitals, Emirates Hospitals Group and Mediclinic are among the many healthcare providers to have implemented a unified healthcare information system (HIS) to ensure patient engagement and satisfaction.
The system called ‘TrakCare’ provides clinical, administrative, and financial information of each patient in a single electronic patient record, assisting medical staff in their decision-making whilst ensuring seamless delivery of patient expectations. The system also enables staff to better streamline care processes, avoid duplication of tests, expedite billing, and allocate available resources effectively.
Introduction of blockchain in healthcare IT infrastructure can also help achieve better data security, streamline claims and billing processes and maintain integrity within the drug supply chain and health related research.
Healthcare providers can process and analyse large volumes of health data, using cloud-based analytics platforms. This includes clinical data, patient records and population health data that could help identify trends, improve decision-making, and optimise healthcare delivery.
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The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) launched ‘Riayati’, a digital healthcare platform for the National Unified Medical Record (NUMR) that creates an innovative and integrated central digital medical record system. This displays clinical data and up-to-date unified medical records aimed to provide quality services to patients.
Ahmed AlDashti, Assistant Undersecretary of Support Services at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, said: “The Riayati programme provides a platform for Health Information Exchange (HIE), which will connect public and private hospitals. The programme is already linked to Dubai Health Authority through the NABIDH project, and to the Emirates Health Services through the e-Health Information System, Wareed.”
He further added that the platform is also linked to the Department of Health — Abu Dhabi through the Malaffi project, ensuring the completion of a unified, integrated, digital, and centralised national medical record for the healthcare system.
As cloud-based digital solutions gain momentum in the industry, the introduction of related innovative technologies creates better possibilities for patient care, data management, and efficiency within the healthcare system.
