The integration of technical capabilities in the healthcare sector has led to rapid shifts in the field of health care worldwide, enabling patients to benefit from telehealth services thanks to the digitization of industry and the emergence of telemedicine. This enables immediate medical advice and remote monitoring of patients, especially those who suffer from chronic conditions and who cannot leave the home. Telemedicine greatly reduces costs and waiting times for the healthcare provider and patient, and reduces stress on vital services, including emergency rooms.
Telemedicine is expected to grow significantly under the emerging pandemic of the Corona virus. Restrictions on the movement of people due to the risk of the virus increase the demand for telehealth services. That is why McKinsey, the consultancy, expects to convert $ 250 billion in healthcare spending in the United States of America alone into virtual care models. Recent trends show that the demand for telemedicine will grow dramatically in the coming years. The governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries pay great attention to the health care sector, especially after the Covid 19 crisis, and see in it a strategic sector that is expected to achieve high growth rates.
The shift towards tele-services at the regional level has already begun in the UAE, with Aster Dm Healthcare and Healthhub from Al-Futtaim launching telemedicine solutions, and the UAE government is planning to launch a virtual hospital.
However, the orientation towards telemedicine is at the beginning of the road, and requires designing a complete ecosystem to support its development. Its full benefits have not yet been achieved, from organizational aspects to the necessary technologies. Thanks to modern technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence and wearable devices, telemedicine will provide many benefits to all stakeholders while providing health services to all residents, improving patient care and reducing time and costs.
Growth areas
What are the critical areas for growth that industry representatives should focus on, which will be the key to developing the health technology industry?
If digital healthcare is to thrive, electronic patient records must be the backbone of the industry. The health sector relies from individual medical records to examination results and medical billing on the ability to collect patient information and share it electronically. The sharing of personal information includes concerns related to data privacy, and here comes the role of blockchain technology, and accordingly the UAE launched the UAE Digital Transaction Strategy 2021 (Blockchain) to promote the use of blockchain technology in government transactions, to provide maximum security when storing sensitive data. The Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the UAE has adopted blockchain technology by launching a platform for storing health care and pharmaceutical data, and although blockchain technology is still in its infancy, it has attracted health insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies to rely on, and increasing dependence on this and similar technologies opens positive opportunities for both companies Leading IT and stakeholders in the healthcare industry. The blockchain-dependent healthcare sector is expected to surpass $ 500 million by 2022
Roving health
Mobile health is a sub-field of telemedicine that expresses medical applications used to provide health care. This sector is particularly popular in the field of preventive care, which is the main focus of the UAE and regional governments in light of the high rates of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the population. Health applications provide a convenient way to share essential healthcare information with citizens and residents, thanks to the widespread availability of smartphones. Many healthcare applications were launched in the UAE, including the reassuring smartphone app in 2017, which is designed to prevent noncommunicable diseases. Other applications include the "My Lifestyle" application, the "Health Heroes" application, and the newly launched Covid-19 applications. The UAE is seeking to become a hub for startups in the health technology sector
Accurate diagnosis
Remote diagnosis, with precision, is a sub-field of the health care sector, and has recently received great attention from innovators, and allows doctors to provide valuable resources and place patients in appropriate treatment programs, which greatly improves their care, all thanks to improved diagnostic capabilities. Improved diagnostic techniques include the application of several techniques in the diagnostic process. Quantrium Blockchain Solutions, the emerging technology in the UAE, offers multiple innovations in this field, based on artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Medical Things.
Devices and sensors
Wearable devices have become popular with technical companies, including Samsung and Apple, and have become a popular tool for those interested in health, as they measure activity levels, heart rate, and others. The technology developed further, so that wearable devices can measure more specialized data, including blood pressure, sugar levels and oxygen saturation, allowing better medical advice and decisions. These tools also allow patients with chronic diseases to communicate important medical information to the care provider or specialist, which reduces the need to see a doctor in person, and allows patients to manage their medical condition. It allows the integration of additional parts, including the Philips wearable biometric sensor and electronic chip, with wearable devices; Utilization of big data and artificial intelligence to provide this category of healthcare devices with a predictive or warning function for patients about their health condition. The market is expected to reach about $ 46.6 billion by 2025.
The UAE offers attractive opportunities in the digital health sector, and seeks to become a hub for emerging companies in the health technology sector.