The United Arab Emirates is one of the few countries to effectively digitize its healthcare ecosystem, putting it in an ideal position to offer the first glimpse of the return on investment (ROI) available. However, driving an ROI is by no means guaranteed.
According to the Pandemic Resilience Index 2022, the UAE was ranked among the top countries to manage the pandemic. The nation’s vision and dedication to continuous development have been fundamental to its success and ability to respond to unforeseen circumstances in an agile manner. With a connected and digitally able population of 10.08 million, as reported by Global Media Insight, the environment is ripe to drive true healthcare innovation.
Below are some key areas of focus to capitalize on the investment in Healthcare IT.
- A common health data platform is foundational
Health authorities have done amazing work digitizing the electronic health record in large systems by using solutions from various vendors. This needs to expand to include all healthcare providers, especially those in primary care and smaller clinics. Health data needs to be put into a federated national Health Information Exchange consolidating Malaffi, Riayati, and NABIDH (Network and Analysis Backbone for Integrated Dubai Health). This common sovereign federal data platform is key. While Emirate-based Healthcare Information Exchanges are sufficient for individual patient access to records, it is limited in the ability to leverage big data insights and improve healthcare outcomes across the nation.
- Patient data is sovereign
Nations should not discount the strategic risk of generated sovereign data not being under direct federal control. It cannot be assumed that data held on third-party systems will always be accessible regardless of geopolitical shifts. Healthcare providers are acutely aware of this and work to maintain compliance with national guidance and regulations. Unfortunately, smaller healthcare providers often have substandard security postures to thwart an attack. The risk of cyber-attack is only one facet of maintaining data sovereignty and control, another is patient consent. Patients should consent to their data being used and be compensated for sharing their data (even after anonymization). Securing and using this sovereign patient data consensually is crucial for population health and research.
- Precision medicine is within reach
The UAE provides the opportunity for healthcare providers to drive real-time clinical decision-making, leveraging precision medicine. This includes digital pathology, AI-supported clinical decision support, genetic pharmacological profiling, and population health. Larger countries tend to struggle with data cleansing while smaller countries do not have the resources or expertise. The UAE is in an advantageous position to leverage healthcare digitization and patient data in the system to support preventative and standard care. The potential for driving an ROI from precision medicine should not be underestimated.
- Leverage existing partners
To ensure systems are being used optimally, company partners need to be held accountable, end-users must be trained, and the system must be used. Also, don’t be tempted to layer tech on unoptimized systems. It is an unfortunate worldwide phenomenon that when things are not working as expected, technologists add technology when they should be stepping back and training. With a strong and dedicated workforce, the UAE will reap the rewards of ensuring that systems are being used to their maximum capacity. This win/win outcome requires a commitment to training and developing deep partnerships with vendors. Not every company that offers services to healthcare providers has a strong history of working with local partners and showing a dedication to joint success. The closer we work with our healthcare providers, the more successful we are together.
The UAE is well-positioned to show a true ROI from the investment in the digitization of the healthcare system. Its work to develop a common data platform is groundbreaking, the understanding of patient data sovereignty is profound, and the willingness to be at the forefront of precision medicine is commendable. By working with partners that share the same ambitions, the UAE will continue to progress and lead in this sector.
Russell Mayne BSc (Physio), MSc (Pain Science) PGDM, FFCI, MCSP
Healthcare Director Middle East, Africa, and Turkey
Dell Technologies
Twitter: @russellmayne
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/russellmayne/