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Live Blog: Arab Health 2020

White-paper-Live Blog: Arab Health 2020

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Day 4 - Thursday 30 January

17:00

Arab Health 2020 has officially come to a close.

To all the delegates, visitors, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors who helped make this year's event such a success: thank you! And an extra thank you to those who followed along with our live blog - we hope you enjoyed the news and updates from the biggest global gathering of the healthcare industry as much as we did. 

The insight doesn't stop here, though. Don't forget to take a look through our Arab Health special edition of Omnia Health for even more from the industry's leaders and experts!

15:48

Meet your Innov8 Talks pitch off finalists!

Sonavi Labs

With 600 million people affected each year, and over 1 million children under 5 losing their lives to pneumonia in 2019, respiratory diseases account for some of the most fatal and expensive diseases the healthcare industry deals with. Sonavi Labs is harnessing power of AI to transform how we diagnose and manage these diseases. With limited access and physicians struggling to meet demand, the Sonavi Labs team asked the question: what if anyone, anywhere, had the ability to diagnose respitaroty diseases with same accuracy as a physician? Enter Feelix: a digital diagnostic tool offering the automated detection of abnormal lung sounds in just 10 seconds from hospitals, communities and in the home.

SensDx

"Better diagnostics for a better life," is the motto of SensDx, a reference to its quick, accurate, precise and easy to use diagnostic platform. Offering a universal reader, disposable test kit and accompanying app, SensDx is highly sensitive and can detect pathogens at early stages of development, helping halt the spread of bacteria and viruses. With kits for detecting influenza already available, SensDx is working to offer tests to detect eight more pathogens in the near future.

Cardiolyse

1 in every 3 lives lost are claimed by cardiovascular disease - and yet 80% of unexpected heart-related deaths could be prevented. With this in mind, Cardiolyse aims to offer affordable and accesible tools for the monitoring and prevention of heart disease, providing affordable and real-time monitoring, personalised reports, and even health alerts up to two months in advance. Solutions range from wearable devices to hospital-based technology, and its accompanying cloud app offers unique patient insights and summaries.

VRapeutic

It can cost $2.5million to raise a child with a learning disability - and there are over 100 million children with learning difficulties worldiwde. "We can do better," believes VRapeutic, which offers virtual reality software for therapeutic purposes, with a focus on learning difficulties and developmental disorders. VRapeutic offers engaging, immersive and customizable therapy to develop cognitive, social, motor and academic skills. Developed around established therapies, VRapeutic is adapting technology, art and science for good of children.

And the winner is...

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Congratulations to Sonavi Labs! As the winner, Sonavi Labs will have its very own booth at Arab Health 2021 - so watch this space!

14:27

It's almost time for the final Innov8 Talks pitch off - the theatre is filling up!

Your judges for the final pitch off:

  • Hazem Abu Khalaf, Director, Healthcare Investments, Gulf Capital, Dubai, UAE
  • Hasan Al Nowais, Acting Head of Mubadala Healthcare, Abu Dhabi, UAE
  • Ugo Mosanya, Head of Strategy & Business Development, Solutions CoE and HTS Consulting, Philips MEA, Dubai, UAE
  • Tristan de Boysson, CEO, Amanat Holdings, Dubai, UAE

13:04

We've heard a lot about data and AI in healthcare over the past few days - so it's great to see it in action, too!

11:30

Some fascinating insights from Dr. Maulik Majmudar, Chief Medical Officer, Amazon, this morning at Innov8 Talks. "There is a lot of hype about digital healthcare," he says, echoing the setinments we've seen across the past four days at Arab Health, "but will it work? It is not yet obvious that technology will be a driver a of reduced cost and increased efficiences."

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He adds some extra food for thought: "In recent years what has become apparent in the U.S. healthcare system is that a B2B healthcare model has been more successful than B2C."

11:10

It may be the final day, but it's as busy as ever out on the show floor. We were delighted to see Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and Hocoma take part in an MOU signing ceremony on the Hocoma stand this morning.

10:03

The fourth and final day of Arab Health is officially underway! As you arrive, don't forget to grab your copy of today's Daily Dose. It's your sneak peak at next week's Medlab Middle East, plus all you need to know about new launches from the likes of Dubai Health Authority and Malaffi, insights from yesterday's conference sessions, and of course a preview about what's to come today.

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If you can't get your hands on a physical copy, you can read the Daily Dose - Day 4 online here.


Day 3 - Wednesday 29 January

18:30

And that's a wrap on day 3! As we get ready for the final day tomorrow, why not take a look over today's highlights?

16:47

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The Bubble Lounge plays host to a fascinating discussion on the link between obesity and diabetes, and the role technology has to play.

The conversation is another part of the strong connectivity theme we've seen across conference sessions and products alike at Arab Health this year, with technological advancements in the spotlight not only when it comes to diagnostics, but also in the management of long-term and chronic conditions.

As Ben McGough, Workstream Lead, Digital NHS Diabetes Program, UK, demonstrates with his comment, technology has an impact on everyday community healthcare as well as brand new hospitals: "We can now write algorithms that can go in an ordinary GP practice."

15:32

Insights from Innov8 Talks continue. It's estimated that 163zb of data will be generated globally in 2025 - that's 10x the amount of data in 2016!

What does that mean for healthcare? The priorities–and challenges–are around security, scale, speed, and keeping the transition to prioritising value-based healthcare over volume at the heart of digital strategies. 

15:12

A Q&A discussion precedes Farhan Farooq, Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services' 'The New Normal in Healthcare' session at Innov8 Talks. One major takeaway: "AI is only as smart as the people using it."

As AI continues to play an increasing role in healthcare, it's important to remember that even AI isn't free from cultural bias or skewed data.

14:26

Who doesn't love a live demonstration? The Omnia Health team got the chance to test out Incrediwear's anti-inflammatory arm sleeve - innovation in action!

After a near fatal accident threatened to leave Incrediwear CEO and Founder Jackson Corley paralyzed, he dedicated his efforts to developing a new way to heal without medication and its various side effects. Using semiconductor elements, all that's needed is the simple touch of the fabric, and the wearer will benefit from increased circulation to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and accelerate recovery, all of which you can see happening in the short clip above.

See it for yourself at Booth F10, Hall 6 at the Super Care Pharmacy booth.

13.09
Stopping for sustenance? Pick up your Day 3 edition of the Daily Dose - or download our PDF version.

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Articles that you might be interested in:

  • New AI partnership announced by Abu Dhabi's Department of Health, and their recognition of young hackathon winners
  • An interview with Francis Schmeer, Chief Sales and Marketing Office, Ascom, on data
  • An interview with Sukhdeep Sachdev, Global CEO, Leader Group on AI in diagnostic imaging

10.36
Many interesting insights shared at the Mecomed Networking Breakfast this morning, including regulatory developments from around the region.

Mecomed, the medical devices, imaging and diagonistics trade association serving as the voice of international MedTech manufacturers across the Middle East & Africa, unveiled its position on value-based healthcare in the region. More on this later...

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08.18
Day 3 and we're halfway through Arab Health. How is everyone? We're at the Mecomed Networking Breakfast at the Bubble Lounge, and it's getting livelier by the minute. Let the day commence.

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And on a similar note, don't forget to check out the highlights from yesterday!


 

Day 2 - Tuesday 28 January

20.44
We're still here on Day 2, getting things done, and on the subject of getting stuff done, kudos to NMG, who built a mini-hospital in under 3 days:

15.41
In his Innov8 talk on foresight and innovation, Dr Yousif Rashid Matar Al Zaabi, Unit Head, Foresight, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, quite rightly points out that making sense of the future is not easy.

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He describes their foresight system as a model similar to the solar system - an initiative drawing praise on social media:

15.21
Chris Meenan, Head of Strategy for Precision Diagnosis at Philips, is talking at Innov8 about how to drive operational efficiencies, and increase the patient experience. Hospitals could be more like airlines, he suggests, in that they have a data-driven culture. He advocates bringing data together in one place, sharing radiology as an example (a department that faces patients with different priorities, including no shows that are a USD 2m per month problem), and explains how AI will accelerate analytics. 

15.04
Khaled Ismail, Managing Partner, HIM Angel, Cairo, is suggesting in his Innov8 talk that insurance companies care more than doctors about patients. He explained that doctors treat; they don't predict or prevent. People will find their own treatment (through Google for example). He calls for a paradigm shift to a personalisation of people's health - a "recipe for life" in his words that could be subscription-based. A recipe that is an intelligent assistant (an app) that includes a blood test schedule, how often to check kidneys, and so forth.

14.53
The Innov8 talks are proving popular this afternoon. Dr Sana Farid, X-Reality & AI strategist, Munfarid, Co-President, VRAR Association Mena Ch, Dubai, began with a talk on the use of VR technology in treating cancer and diabetes patients, citing the example of Google Cardboard that cost less than USD 10. 

14.00
Something you may have noticed: Arab Health is big. We've been doing a lot of walking: a quick poll shows around 25,000 steps on average per day, each. That's equivalent to 9.47 miles or 15km daily. Arab Health isn't just healthcare; it's healthy. On to the next talk...

13.53
A presentation from this morning: how do UK healthcare companies make the most of the Middle East opportunity? You can read the opinion piece by Paul McGrade, Senior Counsel, Lexington Communications, on this site right here: A new era for UK MedTech in the Middle East after Brexit

 

12.27
Day 1 highlights on YouTube - perfect viewing if you're now pausing for lunch.

12.24
Here's a fascinating tech talk on AI and healthcare from earlier. Panel moderated by Dr Hamid A Hashemi, Director of Strategy Affairs at DoH - Abu Dhabi.

 

11.00
The Day 2 edition of the Daily Dose is now out! Today's publication covers, among other stories, yesterday's tour of Arab Health by a very special visitor and an interview with Dr Emily Stein of Primal Health. Grab your free copy today from the halls or check out the PDF version

10.49
We do love a good timelapse. Arab Health attendees are streaming in thick and fast this morning. 

8.41am
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity at Arab Health, and we expect today to be no different. It's a beautifully crisp morning in Dubai, and we have our flat whites ready. Here is what's on the agenda for today


Day 1 - Monday 27 January

6.26pm
The day's proceedings are now formally over, and we're viewing the day's events through social media. It's a reminder of the sheer scale and variety of Arab Health, as well as the different ways in which people are benefiting. 

5.25pm
We can now (officially) reveal that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai visited Arab Health this afternoon. Press release here.

4.13pm
On to Innov8 which, as the name suggests, focuses on innovation, featuring not only keynote speakers and industry gurus but 32 startup companies pitching over four days (good luck to all!).

Kicking off the guru talks was Reenita Das, partner and SVP of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Frost & Sullivan, whom you might recall discussed how women in healthcare are revolutionising the industry in an earlier interview, The rise of femtech and SHEeconomy.

Reenita shared her global healthcare predictions for 2020 - last year her forecasts were 99% accurate.  

3.18pm
It's that point mid-afternoon when a pause to reflect feels appropriate. Brian de Francesca, CEO of Ver2, earlier today shared a top tip with his audience: close your eyes for 60 seconds and think of what you're grateful for (personally we're grateful for the cake in the Press Office).

He was speaking at a session on Build & Design at the Healthcare Infrastructure Forum in which he advocated a shift to a hospital of the future that is integrated, multidisciplinary, agile, adaptable and digital; with a design that is data-driven and community/people focused. He compared the growing hospitals of today with large malls facing disruption.

 

His thoughts formed part of interesting talks on design that we will return to later in the form of a bigger piece. 

2.27pm
We realise that a Live Blog is much more interesting with input from yourselves, our readers. While we don't currently have commenting enabled (working on it), we welcome any thoughts/comments/suggestions you might have by email (contact us here). We also encourage discussion through social media: we are on Twitter and Facebook

1.57pm
Is it time for a third Daily Dose mention? We think so. Dr Emily Stein of Primal Health highlights the high risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia due to poor oral hygiene. To read the full interview, pick up tomorrow's Daily Dose (it's free).

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1.37pm
Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies can be readily seen throughout Arab Health, from our robot friend pictured here to VR, 3D printing, and others. Tech, of course, is an important theme of our times: we even have an entire section on Omnia Health Insights dedicated to it.

And to show that we're just as interactive as the technologies on display at Arab Health, we are currently running a poll on our Technology pages on which innovation will have the biggest impact on healthcare. We're curious to know what you will vote for (are these technologies more than snazzy buzzwords?)!

1.24pm
Arab Health is in full flow (as you can see, we've been rather busy...). There is also, as you may have noticed, a VVIP in attendance...more to come.

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10.43
Here's another avid reader of today's Daily Dose (and an intrigued-looking gentleman behind). You can also find these free daily news digests by looking out for the green 'bins' located alongside the lanyard recycling bins (you may notice the NMG logo; you might be interested in our interview with them on sustainability). 

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And because we really are thinking of everything, here's a PDF version of the Daily Dose that you can download for a quick browse on your smartphone.

10.24
A top tip shared by our roving social media reporter. Register online and collect your badge to avoid waiting - you can even scan the QR code provided for an even snappier registration.

10.07
Have we mentioned that we are also offering a digest of daily goodness that is the Daily Dose? You can find a free copy easily enough across halls - look out for our cheery distributors. Today's edition is especially packed with stories and insights from Arab Health, including (ahem) a mention of this very website, Omnia Health Insights, on page 2.  

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09.40
And we're underway! It's an early start for us, but we're eager and armed with coffee. And we must say, the show is looking dazzling, from holographic displays to shiny screens. Yes, that's an image hovering midair featured in the photo...

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One day to go...

We’re hugely excited to be at Arab Health in Dubai over the next few days, from where we will be sharing updates with you on our live blog. What’s keeping healthcare professionals awake at night? What are the trends to look out for? Find out by bookmarking this page.

Introducing our Live Blog

Five days remain before Arab Health 2020! We're excited about what's to come. We will share updates during the week from the event on the activities, quotes and happenings that we find interesting. Don't forget to follow us on social media too - we are on Twitter and Facebook.

For tips/stories, email Deepa: deepa.narwani@informa.com

 

 

 

The risks and rewards of Medical Tourism

Article-The risks and rewards of Medical Tourism

Medical Tourism is the catalyst that’s changing the face of the GCC healthcare landscape as we know it. All throughout the region, billions are being invested in new hospitals and healthcare cities, radically transforming the quality of care available in the region. With the industry currently estimated at US$100 billion and a 15 to 25 per cent growth rate in destinations who have implemented best practices, Medical Tourism is the No. 1 cause source of disruption and innovation in global healthcare. It’s one of the primary reasons for investment in new hospital projects, as well as the refurbishing of old hospitals into new, cutting-edge facilities. It’s an economic priority by many of the world’s most forward-thinking governments.

The most recent trend that the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) has seen isn’t just about attracting international patients as inbound tourists – it’s about minimising the colossal amounts of money countries are forced to spend while shipping their own citizens abroad to other countries, too. The GCC countries alone spend more than US$10 billion abroad on their citizens each year, sending them away for complex medical cases and conditions that can’t be treated locally. Now, these governments are hoping to change the narrative by curbing outbound medical tourism by investing billions in their own local healthcare sectors to build sleek, technologically advanced hospitals. A modern healthcare presence attracts inbound internationals and keeps its own citizens home, resulting in an economic boom for a country’s medical, hospitality and travel sectors.

Medical Tourism isn’t about cosmetic and dental care; it’s about complex medical procedures that involve cardiology, oncology and orthopaedic specialists, as well as other innovative treatments and clinical trials. Patients are demanding the highest level of care, and they are increasingly willing to travel to faraway countries if it means finding the best doctors or the most advanced medical equipment.

The result of all this is an international healthcare race, with more than 60 countries looking to buy sleek new equipment and build specially constructed patient wings catered specifically toward medical tourists.

One sector that has completely missed the boat on this global opportunity is the healthcare supply chain. Medical equipment, technology, pharma companies and others should be shifting their products, focusing their sales and marketing efforts toward how their solution will help that specific government, emirate or hospital in driving medical tourism dollars to their particular destination. At the end of the day, healthcare consumers are choosing hospitals based on what’s inside the hospital, not the outside shell, and the healthcare supply chain should be jumping on this opportunity.

Fuelled by globalisation

Medical Tourism is now a massive, 21st-century ecosystem, fuelled by globalisation, that is loaded with new business opportunities for everyone. Just as savvy governments are finding ways to capitalise or improve their position by becoming industry stakeholders, companies would be wise to reach out and discover how they can enhance their revenue by addressing the increasingly “niche” needs of the field. Understanding this dynamic is key to operating profitably inside the industry.

The UAE is a shining example of a regional hub for medical tourism. Dubai launched an internal medical tourism initiative many years ago and helped build the UAE into a globally recognised brand, bringing in hundreds of thousands of medical tourists every year. In 2019, Abu Dhabi launched its own medical tourism initiative in partnership with the MTA, aspiring to become the region’s leading medical tourism destination. With Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi already in place as a featured asset and the newly announced partnership between Mayo Clinic and SEHA, Abu Dhabi has positioned itself as the epicentre of high-quality healthcare in the Middle East. Together, with both Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s initiatives, the UAE will likely separate itself as a notch above many other existing markets.

The UAE is well-positioned in medical tourism because of its central location, easy access and friendly visa policies, in addition to the noticeably high quality of healthcare. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are attracting the GCC and China, as well as Russia and the CIS countries. After the MTA signed a long-term deal with Abu Dhabi to make it a regional healthcare hub, we learned about one of the unique advantages that Abu Dhabi has arranged – it’s one of the few destinations in the world where its own Tourism Department has partnered with its Department of Health. Intra–governmental partnerships are the key to medical tourism success and sustainability.

Measuring success

South Korea is another shining example of a well-coordinated, internal governmental support of a global initiative and long-term commitment. When the MTA partnered with the South Korean government almost 13 years ago, South Korea went from an absolute nobody in global healthcare to a top-five destination within only a few years. The investment in medical tourism (global healthcare) all those years ago has built South Korea into a dominant leader in medical technology and pharmacology.

The MTA measures the perception and ranking of destinations around the world through a tool called the Medical Tourism Index.

Regardless of whether you are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Switzerland, UK or any other destination, the key to building a world-class global healthcare destination is in fostering amazing patient experiences and turning every patient into a walking testimonial who refers more friends and families to become global consumers of health.

Medicine is only half the prescription in medical tourism; the most critical part is always the patient experience. The airport experience, hotel, tourism, restaurants and local commerce and shopping all play a role in forming patient experience. Nearly 90 per cent of patients bring a companion or family member(s), electing to spend two-three weeks in the country they’ve travelled to. This is why the tourism element and the economic impact is such a big deal for potential destinations.

Many of the leading hospitals in healthcare have committed to the highest standards in medical tourism and have been accredited by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA), which is headed by Karen Timmons, the former President of JCI and COO of Joint Commission. Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Bumrungrad in Thailand, which receives over 520,000 international patients from over 190 nationalities of patients, as well as many others have achieved GHA. This shows that these hospitals demonstrate the best practices in medical tourism. GHA facilities ensure amazing patient experiences, guarantee patient privacy, demonstrate transparency in their costs, and exhibit many other valuable elements that GHA grades as critical to the long-term sustainability of this industry.

Challenges

Many hospitals and destinations looking for inbound international patients make the mistake of thinking they can just put out a sign and say they are open for business. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really work. Most parties have a difficult time accessing the customers, or healthcare consumers. Education and marketing are both needed to grow both the industry and potential patients’ knowledge of it, as we are probably only at 5-10 per cent of the market’s true potential. After more than 13 years of leading and studying the industry, the MTA just consolidated all of its educational, consumer and research websites into one great site, www.MedicalTourism.com, to provide important information for both healthcare consumers and buyers. It’s a helpful survey of the market of medical tourism, provided by a trusted, transparent voice in a market filled with a lot of noise and confusion.

The other challenge the industry faces is too many operational silos. It is surprising to find that there are no audit trails, transparency, accountability, or reporting. Governments who spend billions of dollars a year on medical tourism do not appear to utilise any method of tracking how or where their money was spent. There is zero accountability and no audit trail. The industry needs continued investment in technologies and new solutions to disrupt the sector.

Leveraging tech

One new market entrant is Pulse Protocol, one of the first technology and future blockchain companies in medical tourism. Pulse has an opportunity to be the next “Uber” in healthcare, to disrupt the industry while bringing together the entire sector by allowing healthcare consumers to access medical tourism through their mobile phones. Pulse makes medical tourism more accessible by allowing patients from around the world to get second opinions, transfer medical records and make payments from their mobile phones. Currently, all these things are difficult to do, and we as an industry have created many barriers and obstacles for consumers to access global healthcare and new business to enter this space.

Pulse is bringing blockchain to medical tourism in a way that has never been thought of before, from allowing the review of doctors and hospitals that are verified through the blockchain after payment has been verified, to using blockchain as a means to credential doctors. More importantly, Pulse is putting the power of medical tourism into consumer hands, thanks to the power of smartphones. Blockchain investment in medical tourism can also help ensure patients traveling for care receive the right drugs, or that governments have audit trails of the billions they are spending in this sector. Proper tracking can result to more investments in the systems and processes.

Identifying right partners

Be careful who you partner with in this industry, and check your sources on medical tourism facts, research and figures. There is a lot of misleading facts and made up statistics that are published, as well as more than a few bad-faith actors. Too much of the research and statistics in medical tourism are actually made up out of thin air and has no basis in fact whatsoever. There are numerous companies peddling these false statistics as the latest in medical tourism statistics, which they would be happy to sell to you for US$1,000 or US$2,500, just to make a quick buck. Unfortunately, other research companies will republish these fake figures in their own reports, furthering a vicious cycle of misinformation. Investors have taken big risks on projects based on bad data and false assumptions.

This industry is a long-term investment; it’s not an industry where you should try to get rich quick. Many tried and failed. You have to be committed to excellence in every aspect of the field. Identifying the right quality partners in the industry can be one of the biggest challenges that face stakeholders.

As the industry grows, so do its biggest adopters. Medical Travel is now becoming a mainstream methodology at all the largest health insurance companies. Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Bupa Arabia, Tawuniya and almost every other major insurance company now offers premium plans that cover treatment abroad and their programmes. Eighty per cent of African health insurance policies sold by AXA include a cross-border (medical travel) healthcare benefit. This is not just a trend; this is the new reality.

Healthcare consumers are demanding mobility within their insurance plans and willing to pay more for it. Medical Tourism has also made local healthcare providers have to up their game and invest in new medical technology, equipment and better outcomes for fear of losing local patients. If medical tourism has taught us anything, it’s that 21st-century healthcare patients now have access to the information they need to make intelligent decisions on whether to stay local or go global.

Medical Tourism hasn’t peaked or plateaued. As more patients have access to innovative solutions and gain more knowledge, more patients will travel. There is no longer one country or region that is the next innovator in healthcare. Now, every country can be an innovator in healthcare. You never know which country will pioneer the next medical breakthrough, the next cure, the next clinical trial. In the future, we will all be medical tourists. 

Dubai’s global appeal to medical tourists continues to rise

Article-Dubai’s global appeal to medical tourists continues to rise

The journey of medical tourism in Dubai started back in 2012. The initiative was launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, who gave the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) the responsibility for building a strategy around medical tourism. It was approved by Sheikh Hamdan in 2014 and since then the Medical Tourism office came into existence and was under the regulation department at the DHA. The department has had an organic growth and became the Medical Tourism Council in 2016. In 2018, with the change of the structure at DHA, it evolved into a department under the Health Regulation sector.

Dr. Marwan Al Mulla, CEO, Health Regulation Sector, DHA, shares: “Dubai strives to continuously provide high-quality healthcare of international standards through its world-class healthcare infrastructure. 96 per cent of the hospitals in Dubai are internationally accredited and offer some of the best healthcare systems and professionals. Moreover, health tourism and the healthcare sector in Dubai is well regulated to keep up-to-date with the latest in technology and expertise as well as to protect patient safety and provide patient centric care.”

Sheikh Hamdan launched DHA’s DXH initiative in April 2016. It serves as a continuation of ‘Dubai, a Global Destination for Medical Tourism’ project and forms part of the government’s efforts to make Dubai a global health tourism destination and a gateway to the finest medical experts and premier accredited healthcare facilities. The newly revamped website www.dxh.ae has two focus areas – Wellness Dubai and Medical Dubai. The medical one is focused on treatments while the wellness focuses on health check-ups, preventative care, as well as alternative medicine, which is regulated in the city.

Dr. Al Mulla adds: “To further strengthen the position of Dubai on the health tourism world map, DHA has recently revamped the DXH.ae website. The web portal receives more than 10,000 unique visitors each month and now includes five languages including Arabic, English, Russian, Chinese and Hindi. So far, we have seen a year-on-year increase in the number of patients coming to Dubai. Last year we had over 337,000 medical tourists coming into Dubai. Our aim in 2021 is to attract half a million health tourists.”

Digital transformation

Several factors are driving the Middle East’s healthcare industry such as the growing population in the region with longer life expectancy. Another is the steady shift to value-based healthcare at competitive costs. Innovation in technology and business models is also fueling growth within the regional health industry as well as better organisational setting, which is increasing efficiency in the patient flow.

Furthermore, the ongoing digital transformation efforts in the region have had a dramatic impact on the health tourism sector as well as the many relevant initiatives that help bring the health community together. Patients today are more empowered, as they prefer to take an active role in selecting the best and most appropriate treatments.

“This is what we try to provide to them through DXH, our digital gateway. The website provides an array of choices and information. We also try to keep visitors engaged through our social media channels so that they can make informed choices before they choose their next healthcare and wellness destination. DHA’s vision is to ultimately create a comprehensive journey that is easily accessible and inclusive of high quality healthcare coupled with unique health tourism experience,” says Linda Abdullah, Consultant, Health Tourism Department, DHA.

Furthermore, she highlighted that Dubai is gaining great progress in its bid to become a medical tourism hub worldwide given its excellent healthcare facilities, world-class medical professionals, easy visa procedures, and extensive health packages. This is illustrated in the fact that there are over 600 packages from 72 healthcare facilities that include 18 hospitals and 54 specialties centres. In 2018, the local sector’s revenue reached AED 1.163 billion. The number of health tourists during the same year stood at 337,011. Dubai also recorded a 9 per cent growth in the number of healthcare facilities vetted and included in the health tourism DXH Group member programme. DXH also continues to participate in several global events and roadshows to reinforce Dubai’s position in the international health tourism market.

Growth trajectory

The UAE will continue to play a major role as the region’s medical hub and Dubai will sustain its global appeal to health tourists, according to Ruhi.

She shares: “This year, we will see growing adoption of the latest innovation in the field of stem cells, regenerative medicine, 3D printing and telemedicine. Dubai is spearheading such innovative techniques in the region; moreover, DHA’s new and simplified healthcare licensing procedures will attract both investors and highly qualified medical professionals from around the globe. This will give us a strong foundation of trust that we are building with those that seek healthcare in Dubai.”

Additionally, she highlights that new investments will lead to the offering of technology-driven services delivered by the finest healthcare professionals. The services that will draw the most health tourists are dental, orthopaedic, dermatology, ophthalmology, health and wellness, aesthetics, and fertility. This will attract more and more health tourists to come to Dubai.

“This is giving us more confidence that we will continue our appeal,” says Ruhi. “We are always strengthening our USPs and will continue to create this unique experience in collaboration with our stakeholders. In Dubai, both the public and private sectors are working hand-in-hand to create a successful journey for the patient. What Dubai has achieved in this short span of time is proof that the city is working towards being the number one in whatever project it takes on. This is thanks to the higher leadership that continues to give us directions as well as directives to grow.

“From our end, we will continue to create a unique experience in the healthcare delivery standard; integrate and offer new medical and wellness service packages, and open new markets for Dubai. Our focus will remain on partnerships with key stakeholders and on our #DXHWellness campaign, which aims to promote a healthy and holistic lifestyle.” 

Key Facts

Dubai’s medical tourism sector’s 2018 revenue hit the AED 1.163-billion mark in 2018, reflecting the influx of global health tourists to the emirate. In terms of international patients, around 33 per cent came from the Arab and GCC countries, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. About 30 per cent were from Asia, including India, and Pakistan and 16 per cent from Europe, including Italy, the UK, and France led the ranks from Europe. Some countries from the Africa region are also steadily becoming a source market. Health tourists come to Dubai mostly for wellness, dental, and orthopaedic treatments.

The medical tourism tide is turning

Article-The medical tourism tide is turning

For many years, the governments of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have met the healthcare needs of their citizens by funding treatment abroad when the appropriate treatment, care and expertise is unavailable in the domestic healthcare system. Irrespective of funding, countries with relatively small populations such as Kuwait (1.3 million Kuwaitis, 3.2 million expatriates) face challenges in providing a healthcare system that has the breadth and depth of services to meet the needs of the population.

Spending on treatment abroad

The number of patients who are sent abroad for treatment in such countries may appear small but it’s a major expenditure and significant financial burden on the state.

Kuwait was estimated to send around 650 patients abroad each month in 2018 at an annual cost of around US$1 billion. According to government statistics, 75 per cent of the cases go to three countries – the UK (28 per cent), the U.S. (24 per cent) and Germany (23 per cent). The remaining cases were distributed to France (14 per cent), Spain (3 per cent) UAE (2 per cent), and 6 per cent to other countries.

In 2016, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) reported the expenditure on overseas treatment for Emirati patients at US$170 million.

In Saudi Arabia (30 million Saudis, four million expatriates), the Health Ministry stated that 2,400 Saudi patients were treated abroad at a cost of US$800 million. The United States, Britain, Germany and China were the four main destinations for Saudis seeking medical treatment abroad. One fifth of those patients were under the age of 14 and seeking specialist paediatric care abroad.

The spend on such patients is high, given that most are travelling for specialised treatment for major diseases. The average cost per case including treatment, travel, accommodation and allowances ranges from US$125,000 to US$340,000 per case, depending on the country. Costs of travel and accommodation, daily living allowances for patients and relatives account for a significant proportion of the cost.

Reducing the government’s healthcare burden

Pressure on government expenditure in the Gulf countries, partly due to a decline in oil revenues, has led to a rethink on how those governments manage the healthcare needs of their populations. There are three key trends:

• Tighter controls on government expenditure on treatment abroad.

• Development of hospital and healthcare facilities within the country.

• The introduction of health insurance schemes which attempt to shift the burden of costs from the government to individual citizens, their employers and their insurers.

In Kuwait, the purse strings have been tightened as a result of media criticism of the level of expenditure. Governments are exploring the opportunities to reduce costs by referring patients for treatment in lower cost destinations such as Malaysia, Korea and Thailand rather than the UK, U.S. and Germany. Oman has added Iran to the list of countries approved for funding of health services for Omani citizens.

In 2016, the Bahrain Health Minister stated that the government is intending to reduce the number of citizens sent for treatment abroad, by providing more medical services within the Kingdom. Bahrain intends to fly medical experts into the country as part of a cost-saving measure. Doctors from India, Singapore, Thailand, Germany, the UK, Belgium and the U.S. agreed to take part in the new scheme.

There has been a plethora of hospital developments in Gulf and encouragement for foreign hospitals and investors to drive healthcare development. In 2017, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) announced that foreign investors can have 100 per cent ownership in health to boost private sector investment in healthcare in the Kingdom.

Furthermore, Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in multiple GCC states, has opened its third hospital in Oman.

Also, Dubai Healthcare City has set up a specialised oncology facility with Mediclinic Middle East to increase capacity in cancer care within the UAE.

However, the hospital building boom may be approaching its peak or may need to more focused on development of more specialised services. According to Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group and Executive Director at RAK Hospital: “It’s time that investors take a pause before putting in more funds to build more hospitals. They need to focus on niche health services rather than more of the me-too kind of primary and secondary facilities.”

Compulsory health insurance for both citizens and expatriates will help to reduce the burden on governments. Kuwait has proposed a law on a mandatory health insurance scheme for expatriates and may require visitors to have health insurance. Oman’s Capital Market Authority is preparing regulations for the implementation of mandatory health insurance in Oman for all local Omanis and expatriates not covered by public sector schemes. Bahrain’s health insurance law came into force in December 2018, although plans for launch in 2019 have now been scheduled for 2020.

Reversing the trend

So, will countries in the Gulf that historically have been sources of international patients become the medical tourism destinations of the future? There are certainly significant efforts to reverse the trend and to create medical tourism hubs within the Gulf that will service the needs of patients within the regions.

Dubai is the leader in these efforts. The Dubai Health Experience (DXH), a web portal and app, attracts 10,000 unique visitors each month and embraces four language versions – Arabic, English, Russian and Chinese, and a medical opinion service. According to the DHA, in 2018, 33 per cent of medical travellers to Dubai came from within the UAE and other Gulf States, mainly from Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia. 30 per cent came from Asia, mainly from India, Iran and Pakistan and 6 per cent are from Europe, mainly the UK, France and Italy. Rather than highly specialised care, dentistry, orthopaedics and dermatology were the main treatment types for inbound medical travellers. The emirate hopes new initiatives will help attract more than half a million medical tourists by 2021.

The Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has reported an increase of more than 16 per cent in the number of international patients in 2018 and saw an even stronger growth in 2019. The healthcare arm of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company has announced it has signed an agreement with Nirvana Travel and Tourism to work together to grow medical tourism from the Gulf region, Africa, Russia, China and India.

In Saudi Arabia, a five-year plan is being developed, which aims to encourage Saudi nationals to stay at home for their treatment and to attract medical tourists from other Islamic countries to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage has endorsed a proposal that combines religious and medical tourism to promote Saudi health services to the world’s 1.6 million Muslims who may seek spiritual solace during a health crisis.

Bahrain’s National Health Plan 2016-2025 has therapeutic tourism as a key national initiative but has made little progress so far due to the need for private sector investment.

So, perhaps the tide is turning for medical tourism in the Gulf region, particularly for those patients seeking less complex treatments. But, building new hospitals and clinics doesn’t create a medical tourism destination. The key to long term success will be to establish (or buy in?) the level of knowledge and expertise which patients have traditionally sought further afield and to ensure quality standards match those in alternative locations. The small population in some countries will be a barrier to that, as they lack the critical mass to support the development of specialised tertiary services and retain clinicians with the necessary expertise. Patients requiring highly specialised care will continue to travel.

What to expect at United Imaging stand at Arab Health 2020

Video-What to expect at United Imaging stand at Arab Health 2020

Children's National Medical Center at Arab Health 2020

Video-Children's National Medical Center at Arab Health 2020

VPS Healthcare at Arab Health 2020

Video-VPS Healthcare at Arab Health 2020

North Africa Healthcare Market Insights

White-paper-North Africa Healthcare Market Insights

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In North Africa, significant efforts are being made to develop the healthcare sector, and investments in medical insurance, vaccination, access to water and better nutrition have resulted in the decrease of infant and maternal mortality and longer life expectancy.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the combination of three factors - the ongoing rapid socio-economic changes, demographic transitions leading to the increase of juvenile population and a population which started ageing, and the evolution of lifestyles - has given rise to new patterns of consumption, new diseases, and new needs that will constitute challenges to the countries of the region.

To overcome these new challenges, the ECA believes that health systems have to develop a clear vision and strategy, reforms have to be made in order to implement more equitable health funding policies and achieve the universal coverage. Moreover, better advantage should be taken of the potential of the private sector as a support to the public health system.

These reforms also imply that policymakers in the region should tackle the issue of infrastructure and human resources in health sectors, according to the ECA.

About North Africa Health

North Africa Health is a 3-day exhibition and congress that will take place from 7-9 April 2020 at Egypt International Exhibition Centre in Cairo. The event connects key industry professionals from the region and abroad to meet, learn and do business. The 2020 edition will host more than 180 exhibitors and 5,000 healthcare providers, medical practitioners, manufacturers, eHealth experts, key buyers, distributors, policy makers and stakeholders from around the world.

Medlab Middle East 2020: Transforming tomorrow’s diagnostics

Article-Medlab Middle East 2020: Transforming tomorrow’s diagnostics

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Medlab Middle East is all set to showcase cutting-edge laboratory medicine solutions and takes place next week, from 3-6 February 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The expo will welcome more than 600 exhibitors from 35+ countries and over 25,800 attendees will attend the 19th edition of the MENA region’s largest medical laboratory exhibition and congress.

According to research by Wise Guy Research Consultants, the value of the Middle East & Africa (MEA) clinical services market will reach over US$14 billion by 2023 with technological advances one of the key drivers pushing market growth. Medlab Middle East has a central show theme of ‘Transforming tomorrow’s diagnostics’, underscoring the role of innovative technological advances in the development of laboratory medicine in the region.

The four-day show which is organised by Informa Markets, will introduce the Transformation Hub, a dedicated zone showcasing advanced clinical laboratory products by industry leaders committed to transforming diagnostics and advancing healthcare.

In addition to the Transformation Hub, Medlab Middle East will also host a series of free-to-attend workshops, hosted by the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) and Bio-Rad, where a hands-on approach to learning and knowledge-sharing on new product offerings, technology and best practice will take place. Workshops include Transfusion and blood typing challenges; Laboratory quality management system, the best of CLSI; and Laboratory accreditation, CAP updates, which take place on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of February, respectively.

Medlab Middle East also offers an educational agenda for clinical laboratory specialists to advance their skill sets, inspire and to provide advanced medical laboratory techniques for better health is provided. More than 4,500 conference delegates will have the opportunity to hear from 120 speakers from around the world, across 12 Continuing Medical Education (CME) accredited conferences.

The 2020 edition of the show will see the introduction of four new conference tracks including Blood Transfusion Medicine, Laboratory innovation, Digital Pathology and the Roundtable Discussions, which will feature focused scientific group discussions on selected administration and technical topics in the medical laboratory.

Medlab Middle East is officially supported by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, Government of Dubai, Dubai Health Authority, Abu Dhabi Department of Health and Dubai Healthcare City Authority.

For more info visit www.medlabme.com.

Errors in Point-of-Care Testing: An Aladdin's cave of treasures

White-paper-Errors in Point-of-Care Testing: An Aladdin's cave of treasures

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Traditionally, in most point-of-care testing (POCT) programmes, there has been a large focus on Quality Control (QC) analysis. Through regular monitoring of internal QC and proficiency testing reports, we can evaluate the performance of instruments. We can identify any inaccuracies and/or imprecision that may exist and take appropriate action.

For the most part, instruments provided by long-established manufacturers perform very well. Reviewing QC summary data, I rarely see problems from one month to the next. If we were to focus exclusively on the QC performance of our devices, we would be fooled into thinking that all is well in the world of POCT.

While the analytic performance of our instruments must be established and monitored, we must also focus on where the main errors of POCT are happening – at the patient’s bedside. This includes all areas of the testing pathway: pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical. When you start to investigate, you will find an Aladdin’s cave of errors. Only by identifying and addressing these “treasures” will you start to have a real impact on the quality of your POCT programme. Then the rewards will follow in the form of safe patient care.

Most pre-analytical errors cannot be identified by the instruments during the testing process. Even if they were, frequently no hard stops exist. Incorrect results can be released that may be acted upon inappropriately. Standardisation of processes and good training, whilst very important, will only go so far. We need to come up with new ways of capturing these errors. Ultimately, the onus is on the end users to follow the correct workflow, however, we should have ways to pick up mistakes when things go wrong. The good news is there are tools at our disposal to help us.

Pre-analytical

Patient ID errors

Every POCT programme faces patient misidentification errors to one extent or another. How can we minimise or eliminate them? The incident rates you see are dependent on the type of workflow you have created and the type of technology you have at your disposal. Using a completely manual process where the operator types the patient ID into the POCT device, you will see high error rates. In a workflow where the devices are configured to read a barcode, you will see fewer. However, barcode technology is not the nirvana we all wish it were. Whilst we create workflows with an expectation that the end user will do the right thing and scan the patient wristband, there are occasions, for example, where patient labels (with barcodes) are scanned instead. This occurs because institutions are reliant on patient labels for other hospital workflows. These may find their way into POCT workflows with unintended consequences. Sometimes the wrong patient ID will be scanned.

New technologies are becoming available that will reduce these errors further, such as pre-barcoded blood gas syringes, removing the need for a patient label altogether. The technology transfers the ID electronically from the wristband to the syringe.

Another is 2D barcode technology. Most often, patient labels only have the 1D (linear) barcode present. If it were possible to create a 2D MRN barcode on the wristband (many institutions already have), then you could create a hard stop that would force the operator to scan the patient wristband instead.

Positive Patient ID (PPID) is another very useful tool where instruments can pull up specific patient details such as name and date of birth when the patient’s Medical Record Number is scanned. This information is pulled from the Admission Discharge Transfer (ADT) interface. This is a second confirmation that the nurse has the correct patient in front of them. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has this technology in place for some of our devices.

Error Detection: To identify these errors, you need to monitor patient results regularly. This can be done through manual checks on the device and/or middleware (if you have connectivity in place). You will quickly see nonsensical IDs on the instrument or results in the middleware that did not transmit to the EMR for a plethora of reasons. Share the data with nursing leadership. Use it as leverage to secure funding for IT enhancements (if there is no IT integration). At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, correct patient ID is a KPI for the POCT programme with a compliance rate of 100 per cent. We have zero tolerance for this type of error. We constantly look at new ways to improve our processes to meet our 100 per cent metric.

Blood gas errors

Blood gas sample collections are prone to many errors that are difficult to monitor. The most common error relates to the samples collected from central/venous and arterial lines. It is important that the nurse discards an adequate amount of dead volume before specimen collection. If the correct technique is not used, sample contamination with Potassium Infusions, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) or saline can occur. This contamination may not be identified by the operator when running the sample on the blood gas analyser and incorrect results can be released.

Error detection: Ensure weekly or monthly reviews of reports of patient results that exceed the Analytical Measuring Range (AMR) of the Instrument. Whilst you do see results like this occasionally for very sick patients, these are the exceptions. For example, a patient result with sodium and chloride results exceeding the AMR is highly indicative of saline contamination. A protocol could be introduced for any high glucose values for those patients on TPN. If TPN contamination is suspected, a repeat sample should be taken to confirm.

Capillary sample collection errors

The most common pre-analytical errors related to the capillary sampling include “milking”. Excessive massage and squeezing around the puncture site are often done when capillary blood flow is not adequate in order to obtain the necessary blood volume to fill the strip. Excessive massage may cause falsely decreased concentrations of some parameters due to the dilution of the blood sample with tissue fluid. To avoid this, a lancet of adequate size should be used to ensure satisfactory skin incision.

Error Detection: Witness audits are a useful tool but will not pick up all errors. Some instruments report “underfilled” if there is not enough sample detected on the strip. These could be pulled manually from the device, or perhaps through middleware. Some strips also provide a number of internal checks before a patient result is reported, including humidity checks for example. It may be possible to retrieve this data too. Cartridge-based systems also give errors that can be captured and traced back to the operator. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has this in place for some of our cartridge-based systems. It is a great way to monitor competency and address poor practice.

Analytic phase

One great way to detect errors with your instrument is to perform periodic method comparisons with the laboratory. Nothing is more powerful than performing these comparisons and sharing good correlations data with your end users. This will instil confidence in our POCT devices. It may also identify errors that may not be picked up with QC. The relationship between POCT and the laboratory needs to be fully understood at the outset, and throughout the life cycle of the POCT method.

For example, split-sample analysis between the POCT and the laboratory will inform us if the electrolytes and metabolites reported on our blood gas analysers are accurate.

If your POCT Urinalysis instruments are different from the main laboratory, physicians may ask why they are seeing “discrepancies” between the two technologies. Sometimes the resulting cut-offs for the semi quantitative tests are different. A 1+ on the POCT (less than 25mg/dl) is not equivalent to a 1+ on the laboratory analyser (less than 50 mg/dl). It’s not that the POCT is an inferior method, but that the instruments are reporting at different concentrations. This information needs to be shared and understood by end users.

PT/INR is another area where there is confusion between the POCT and what the laboratory reports. Periodic comparisons are vital to ensure the relationship between both is understood. We need to know to what extent there is an agreement between the two methods and where the relationship is lost.

Post-Analytical

Once the result has been generated, how do we ensure that it is entered into the right Medical Record (MR)? If you are lucky enough to have your POCT interfaced to the MR, then this is not so much of an issue. But for many POCT programmes, this integration is lacking, and the hospital is reliant on the end user to either scan the reports or manually enter them. This is a high-risk activity prone to many errors. The consequences for a patient being treated based on a wrong result are very serious.

Another area where there is poor compliance is critical result documentation. This is for POCT values that are deemed critical by the organisation. As per Joint Commission International (JCI) , the requirements are documentation in the medical record with the date and time that the end user informed the physician. There must be evidence of critical result read back by the physician also.

Error detection: Audit, Audit, Audit! Share the compliance data of correct result entry with hospital leadership. Monitor over time to assess if non-compliance is an issue. In the acute care setting, this is a powerful tool to justify IT integration.

For critical result documentation, we must audit as well. Some instruments do have features that allow us to capture the JCI requirements. Use whatever tools you have at your disposal.

Conclusion

The traditional focus of POCT coordinators on the analytical performance of instruments needs to change. I encourage those of you who work in this challenging discipline to be creative. There is a lot we can do to pick up these “treasures” and share with our nursing colleagues to address. Nursing leadership will be happy and willing to assist with any non-conformities found. We can add real value to our clinical colleagues and be more impactful. By identifying and addressing patient-testing errors, future mistakes can be prevented.