Digital Health Middle East highlights new approaches to healthcare

Experts at Digital Health Middle East 2020 highlighted new approaches to healthcare that is set to reform the industry with preventive information and new care solutions using technologies to deliver the highest levels of safety and patient experience with the lowest cost in the future.

Dr Ramadan AlBlooshi, Chief Regulatory Officer, Dubai Health City Authority, said “In the past five years, the UAE Government has launched several strategies including the National Innovation Strategy, The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy and Block Chain Strategy to empower change across industries. Disruptive technologies are offering effective tools to revolutionize the health sector by enabling innovative, cost-effective and patient-centred systems. Collaborations among health authorities across block chain are allowing us to have unified health systems and laying the foundation for new healthcare services such as telehealth.

Lina H Shadid, Healthcare Practice Lead at PwC, spoke on the New Health Economy focussing on digital transformation and the role of data and AI in the age of Trust.

Lina Shadid, Digital Health Lead at PwC Middle East noted: “The promise that data science and artificial intelligence (AI) hold for revolutionising healthcare is undeniable - from the way healthcare is delivered all the way through to how data is collected, assessed and used to benefit the greater good. But for AI to truly benefit the healthcare system, we need to see a concerted effort on the part of the entire ecosystem, an effort to cut through the hype and prepare for the changes and potential that emerging technology bring to the industry. This transformation requires a collective effort -- from providers, payers, patients and all the way through to regulators, data scientists and academics. The promise of big data and AI in healthcare is huge.”

Amit Sadana, General Manager & SVP AMESA at IQVIA spoke on how genetics will take digital health to a new level and decoding a genomic revolution. He highlighted on using genome sequence and big data to manage one’s health and how genetics will take digital health to the next level.

Atif Albraiki, CEO at Malaffi addressed the audience how besides the many breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare data vastly remains in silos and how this affects the provision of care. He highlighted how Health Information Exchanges connect healthcare and provides value to stakeholders. 

Mr Albraiki added, “I am glad that HIEs are now an integral part of all conversations around improving healthcare through technology. We are happy to carry the flag for connecting healthcare, by also sharing our experience with Malaffi, which has already started to provide value for both providers and patients.”

Nadine de Clercq and Natasha Faizan of Amana Healthcare presented the case of using eye gaze technology to communicate with children of special needs.

Haytham El Sahat, surgical oncologist and Medical director at Mediclinic spoke on the role of AI in medicine and how digitization will change the distribution of personnel and leadership roles. 

Blending Nordic experience with local excellence, experts at the conference hailed from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and GCC. Dr. Sven Korner, NLP/AI/Deep Learning Researcher from Germany, 

Anni Iso-Mustajarvi, Head of Business Development at Mehilainen from Finland spoke on the digitalization of patient journey and developing high quality services beyond traditional boundaries while Claus Nielsen of Data for Good Foundation from Denmark highlighted prevention and early intervention as a goal for improved population health.

Magnus Clarin, Dean - School of Information Science at Halmstad University in Sweden presented a case study on AI driven care in response to healthcare challenges with insights and results from the region of Halland.

Ben Furneaux, Global Head of Affordability at Cigna spoke on cost care and the need for affordable healthcare solutions while Dr. Sven Korner delivered a keynote on using AI for profitability and using semantic processing to interpret data to deliver real knowledge.

Guests also had access to exhibitors in the foyer that included PwC, du, Evoteq, Anker Innovations, Thuraya, Prestidge Group and IQVIA.

The event gathered 250+ peers from across the ecosystem, and 20+ speakers for a dialogue, vital insights and networking as this C-level hub facilitates knowledge exchange and game-changing strategies. Digital Health Middle East brings C-level attendees including executives and CXO’s, governmental department heads, hospital leaders, nurse leaders, regulators, technologists, futurists and entrepreneurs.