Embracing data interoperability from a provider, payer, and regulatory standpoint can help improve healthcare locally, regionally, and globally, according to experts.
At the recently Advance Health Forum hosted by Dubai Science Park, top healthcare leaders delved into the future of the sector and explored the benefits and challenges that stem from digital transformation and adopting coded-data algorithms.
Experts headlining the session included Dr Margaret Faux, CEO & Founder, Synapse Medical Services, Dr Osama El-Hassan, Health Informatics Specialist & Smart Heath dept, Dubai Health Authority, and Michael Schelper, CEO, Anvano.
During the discussions, the experts concurred that a data-driven healthcare system would include better and more personalised healthcare for patients, reduced human error, accessibility to medical records around the world, more accurate and efficient services for better outcomes to patients, healthcare providers, and regulators.
“Digital transformation is the future of all sectors, with healthcare as one significantly positioned to benefit from it. Countries around the world are striving to digitise healthcare. Estonia, Denmark and Sweden are among those leading the change,” said Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Managing Director, DSP.
He also shed light on the initiatives introduced by the UAE including the UAE’s 2019 Health Data Law and NABIDH portal – launched by DHA to exchange information between providers and patients.
“While data privacy and ethics are key considerations to keep in mind, thanks to the continuous support of our government, and our district’s leading global and regional customers, several solutions are already in the works and impactful data and insights about patients in our country will be employed to better serve people and enhance the quality and competitiveness of our healthcare sector,” said Janahi.
Experts identified the main challenge the sector faces when it comes to coded data driven healthcare is patient privacy and data security.
Dr Osama El-Hassan emphasised the UAE’s advanced state of addressing these challenges. “The UAE was one of the first ever countries in the MENA region to introduce a data security law, the Federal Law No 2 of 2019 (Health Data Law).”
He continued to introduce Nabidh, the first patient registry platform developed by the DHA which unifies and collects patient data to improve healthcare, operational excellence, and safety.
Dr Margaret Faux commended UAE’s advancement in the digital transformation of the healthcare system and adoption of coded-data algorithms, stressing the importance of addressing the challenges it entails. She stated that the solution comes from “international standardised information models and the messaging systems designed around atoms of data”.
Before the session concluded, Michael Schelper explored the topic from the consumer’s perspective. “The consumer is rising to power, and it can’t be ignored,” he stated.
Schelper emphasised the essentiality of not only adapting the most recent technologies to improve the healthcare sector, but also the changing needs of consumers.
