The moment we acknowledge the importance of self-care, our journey toward a fulfilling life begins. It is one of the most vital components of our wellness routines and overall health. To have a better understanding of self-care practices and the positive habits that impact our wellbeing, we must rely on the information that is available to us and adopt a personalised approach that is suited to our needs. According to the International Self-Care Foundation, the first of the seven pillars of self-care is knowledge and health literacy. It’s the crucial first step in creating a healthy lifestyle worth living for and improving upon. Those with health literacy skills live better lives and walk on a consistent positive path of making the right choices regarding their well-being.

Today, around 3.6 billion people across the globe lack access to essential health services. To help cope with these numbers, entities such as the World Health Organisation continue to advocate for self-care education, emphasising the importance of seeking and assessing health information to understand and follow both simple and complex instructions in a daily medication regimen. It is critical to educate people on how and when to access healthcare in order to make more informed decisions, as well as to share health-promoting activities with their communities in order to promote awareness of health challenges that people face every day.

The more we know, the better we can take care of ourselves and each other. There must always be open dialogue and collaborations between private and public organisations in order for society to create a strong culture of self-care. In today’s digital-driven world, many platforms or channels can be utilised to boost consumer health education. From promoting good habits of consuming health supplements to wearable technology that provides individuals with full self-monitorisation of health, higher engagement between healthcare professionals and the public has driven people to prioritise methods of improving one’s wellbeing as quickly and as safely as possible. Enhanced health literacy helps individuals to realise their wellness potential by taking greater control of life choices, avoiding dangerous behavior, and preparing for future health-related challenges with affordable and efficient treatment.

Implementing self-care strategies through healthcare organisations provides undeniable benefits for patients. People are given the opportunity to protect their own health, know where to look for information, how to use that knowledge, how to utilize self-care products and practices, know exactly about the medicines they are consuming, seek professional advice at ideal moments, and help and motivate others to do the same. While it is important to build trust between patients and their care providers, it is as crucial to equip patients with both innovations and insights that expand their knowledge of health, giving them the skills to distinguish what is both good and bad for their well-being.

We cannot underestimate the power of education and our ability to apply the information we need to create a healthier and happier life. As techniques and practices for enhancing the patient care journey evolve, we must never stop learning. As individuals who want the best for ourselves and others around us, we must continue to navigate through the challenges of healthcare together. We have the ability to transform the way society lives by adopting simple self-care practices driven by a rich ecosystem of self-care knowledge. And what we have learned from the recent pandemic is that we are more than capable of overcoming unprecedented hurdles in healthcare, powered by empathy, resilience, and proactively leveraging self-care insights to build a stronger foundation for our mental and physical health.

Healthcare workers around the world are facing the demoralising effects of inadequate tools, which impacts patient care. Those who have visited relatives in the hospital may have witnessed clinicians wasting valuable time struggling with faulty equipment such as a cracked tablet screen, or disinfectant solution seeping into electronic devices which slows everything down. These are examples of equipment not designed for the job. Meanwhile, the pressure is multiplying as data-driven healthcare evolves very quickly. 

Digital technology enables data collation of vital statistics, blood test results and the doctor’s diagnosis. Now no longer buried in paper-based folders, they can be quickly cross-referenced against thousands of outcomes, creating tailored treatment programs. The power of digitally driven treatment plans is huge, allowing patients to receive the right treatment at the right time.

Related: Automated workflow holds the key to elevated healthcare delivery

Inadequate technology means the whole system starts to falter as caregivers find themselves troubleshooting equipment failures instead of tending to their patients. According to Zebra’s global  Healthcare Vision Study, more investment in the right technologies is needed and healthcare-ready device usage is preferred to consumer selections.

Related: Technology investments healthcare organisations must prioritise

For example, why are purpose-built enterprise healthcare devices such as Zebra’s ET4x-HC Series—the ET40-HC tablet (Wi-Fi 6) and the ET45-HC tablet (Wi-Fi 6 and 5G) a better choice than a consumer tablet?

A consumer device has computing and mobile capabilities, but in high pressure hospital environments many tasks need completing. The computing prowess may be like for like, but with additional medical workflows, the downsides of consumer tablets come to light. 

If a patient requires medication, their ID wristband and prescribed drugs must be scanned and linked to their medical record. Zebra’s ET4x-HC Series alleviates problems by including an enterprise-class barcode scanner enabling both scanning and data transfer. However, consumer tablet and smartphone devices attempt to achieve the same result with a camera and third-party scanning application, resulting in defective scans and delays in information collation.

If a patient becomes confused and tries to climb out of bed after receiving their medication, pressing an ET4x-HC Series tablet’s emergency alert button calls in the wider team to help whilst the clinician manages the patient. These devices can assist with immediate tasks, such as providing specific medical equipment, preparing for a timely procedure, or even an extra pair of hands. Consequently, healthcare staff can focus on calming and attending to their patient’s needs without multitasking.

After ministering to a patient, the tablet needs to be cleaned. Sanitation and cleanliness are critically important in medical environments. Consumer tablets may be designed for a light wipe now and again, but the ET4x-HC Series is designed specifically for healthcare. They can be exposed to harsh conditions, like blood and bacteria, without spreading infectious diseases. Zebra’s healthcare-grade enterprise tablets can be sanitised, before and after every patient interaction, multiple times per hour. These devices can be thoroughly disinfected hundreds of times weekly with strong chemicals and continue working as they’re made of advanced medical-grade plastics resistant to chemical abrasives, and in a colour that withstands UV light cleaning.

An additional distinguishing factor between medical-grade enterprise tablets from consumer ones is the ease of battery replacement when they reach end of life. An ET4x-HC Series tablet’s battery can be swapped out with a fully charged battery in seconds in the field by front-line workers. However, a consumer tablet must be taken out of service and sent into a depot for battery replacement, resulting in extra tablets required for workers during that period. 

Another difference is that consumer tablets won’t necessarily alert users about imminent battery end of life, so workers will suddenly find themselves with a dead device. The ET4x-HC Series tells users when a battery needs replacing – before powering down. Its PowerPrecision battery technology, which is exclusively available with Zebra devices, constantly monitors and reports on each device’s battery health via a dashboard. Consequently, teams can have fresh batteries on hand for a proactive swap before battery levels become critical. 

Many people consider consumer devices “good enough” for the job. But “good enough” doesn’t cut it in mission-critical industries like healthcare. It’s possible that after two years, a consumer tablet may still be in service, but it will be outdated by consumer standards. Therefore, it will stop receiving critical feature and security updates, exposing healthcare facilities to new risks. Consumer original equipment manufacturers rely on quick churn of devices and don’t prioritise enterprise users’ needs around standardisation, stability and support. Plus, the consumer tablet will have suffered more wear and tear since it wasn’t designed for a healthcare environment, forcing users to refresh in just 24 months. 

Alternatively, Zebra’s purpose-built ET4x-HC Series will still be working, lasting up to six years easily – with the correct Zebra OneCare™ service package, three times longer than a consumer tablet! By meeting the latest military durability standards, the ET4x-HC Series is usable in extreme temperatures as well as being rain and drop proof to 3.3 ft/1 m. Its extensive range of healthcare enterprise-grade accessories includes a disinfectant-ready hand strap for easy portability, multi-slot charging cradles, and a presentation stand to create a kiosk-like patient self check-in solution in the waiting room. A VESA mount adapter fixes the tablet to a patient’s bedside so they can contact their nurse, view their medical records, or order food. The ET4x-HC Series includes enterprise software to maximise caregivers’ productivity and minimise IT complexities of device management.

This tablet covers users on performance and cost. Surprisingly, the total cost of ownership is lower with an ET4x-HC Series tablet while the total benefit of ownership is higher.

Over the next two years, around US$1.2 billion is expected to be pumped into the digital infrastructure in the GCC marking a significant rise in AI investments, according to a report revealed at the recent Precision Medicine Exhibition and Summit.

While we were already on a path of greater adoption of technology in the healthcare space, the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in health and social care by up to five years, say experts. The rising investments in digital infrastructure are reflective of this change. A core part of these investments is directed at using artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline workforce and management processes, reduce costs of medical establishments, and improve patient care and experience. 

“As of 2022, we see the implementation of more AI-powered tools that significantly help clinics increase revenue and decrease the healthcare provider burn-out ratio. There is a high demand from the industry to implement internal optimisation tools as well as smart workforce management solutions.

“Five years ago, only 15 per cent of the medical clinic clients requested us to implement such tools. Now, our scheduling and workforce management tool is our winning formula,” said Melda Akin, Founder and CEO, D14.ai. 

The company has built Dhealth, an operating system for healthcare clinics that helps manage various aspects of practice, engage with patients, and improvise doctor, room, and asset scheduling.

“The system uses machine learning to react to patient behaviour with personalised patient journeys. Patients can access and control their records, as well as book appointments online in real time. We're proud of improving people’s health by using AI,” added Akin.

The company’s workforce management platform was launched in 2019, and the clinic management platform in 2022. “We’ve been serving international large clients to small clinics. More than 150 healthcare providers have been using our system, serving more than 90,000 patients.” 

Most of the large healthcare providers in the UAE are connected to patients through their apps.

Prime Healthcare Group, for instance, launched its mobile app in 2009. “We were one of the first healthcare organisations to launch a mobile app. In 2017, we added more features that allowed patients to access their reports, receive medication reminders, view medication history, and visits, etc. The app has been downloaded more than 100,000 times on play store and more than 50,000 on app store,” said Jaleel Rahiman, Director IT and Prime Digital, Prime Healthcare Group.

More than 13 per cent of appointments are booked through this app and patients use it to access lab and radiology reports, he added. Individual apps of healthcare providers work well but also restrict the choices of a patient. Rashed Abdulrahman, an Emirati tech enthusiast, saw this as an opportunity and launched an app in 2022 that allows patients to browse through a growing list of medical care providers in the emirates on one platform.

“MEDICAPP is acting as a bridge between healthcare providers and users in the United Arab Emirates, giving patients a wider choice with least effort,” said Abdulrahman. 

Jaleel Rahiman, Director IT and Prime Digital, Prime Healthcare Group.

A feature in the app allows users to rate the service and the hospitality of the healthcare service provider. This could eventually become a good barometer for UAE residents, visitors, and medical tourists, who are unsure of which hospital or clinic to visit in time of need.  MEDICAPP is part of the burgeoning digital health startup community in the UAE tapping into new-age technology to provide better patient care. The use of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), wearable technologies, 3D printing, and drones are transforming healthcare experience like never before and helping bolster the UAE’s ranking on the medical tourism index. 

Considering the global medical tourism is worth US$35 billion to US$55 billion with 12 to 14 million travellers taking medical trips each year for treatments including cosmetic surgery, reproductive health, dental and orthopaedic among others, the UAE is poised to attract a greater share of this pie in coming years. Medical tourism in the UAE could touch Dh19 billion by 2023. 

Medical tourism sales in the UAE are expected at Dh8.4 billion in 2021, growing at 17.1 per cent CAGR between 2021 and 2025, as per the Investing in healthcare in the UAE report by the Ministry of Economy. 

According to the International Healthcare Research Centre, in a survey among 46 countries, the UAE ranked sixth in Global Medical Tourism Index (2020-2021), and fifth in the quality of healthcare facilities and services. These numbers reinforce our belief that greater use of technology in healthcare bodes well for the overall health of our society in the UAE.   

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is evolving rapidly to align with the Kingdom’s Vision for 2030, and this is creating opportunities for various stakeholders. In our interview with the co-founding partner of Al Arrab Consulting, Sultan Al Sa’adoun speaks about his professional experiences, which led him to establish the firm and how they operate in key sectors to provide end-to-end transformation management services.

Excerpts from the interview:

Among the solutions provided by Al Arrab Consulting, strategy development and implementation for organisations and their key focuses, from building operating models to engineering processes, are driving change in the market. In addition, they support business development by supplying solutions for partnerships with the private sector for companies and sectors to get established.

The sectors they serve include healthcare, transport, logistics, justice, and security, among others. When Al Sa’adoun was asked about trends that will shape the future of the industry, he said that the consulting sector is steadily growing to achieve the goals of Vision 2030, led by its administrative and digital strengths.

“Stakeholders are working hard to achieve the goals they have committed to and require support from experts from the industry. Growth has been consistent in the Gulf region in general. However, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, growth is exponential, with a growth rate of more than 18 per cent for the year 2021, according to several recently published reports. We do face challenges, but we believe that preparation, continuous monitoring, and swift actions will ensure we continue to excel,” he said.

Presently, Al Arrab Consulting is a multi-sector organisation with revenues exceeding 600 million riyals in addition to high levels of localisation of national competencies exceeding 75 per cent. “There is no doubt that we will work to expand our business to other areas. We recently started developing digital solutions and are investing in innovation, among other activities. We aim to strengthen our portfolio of services in the consulting sector and appeal to our local target market,’’ Al Sa’adoun explained.

Cardiac electrophysiology, despite rapidly undergoing technological advances worldwide, is still in its infancy in the Middle East and faces a number of challenges.

A relatively new medical field, cardiac electrophysiology was first developed only 40 years ago. In the UAE, experts say that the first cardiac electrophysiology procedures were performed just over 15 years ago.

“Since then, the number and complexity of procedures performed in the country have grown exponentially. In certain highly specialised centres, the field has advanced to a high level comparable to some of the best tertiary care centres worldwide,” according to Dr. Mohamed Al Jaabari, Staff Physician, Cardiology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute.

Some of the technologies introduced in the UAE over recent years include leadless pacemakers which are miniature-sized devices that are slightly larger than a medication pill. Advancements in the treatment of abnormal heart rhythms include the use of three-dimensional mapping technologies to minimise or eliminate the use of X-ray radiation during ablation procedures for the treatment of arrhythmias.

Dr. Mohamed Al Jaabari, Staff Physician, Cardiology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute.

“During these procedures, small catheters are advanced through tiny incisions in the groin to enter the veins of the leg. These are then advanced through the veins into the heart and can create a three-dimensional model of the internal structure and electrical activity of the heart using technology similar to GPS,” explained Dr. Al Jaabari.

“Using this electrophysiology technology doctors are able to treat and eliminate abnormal heart rhythms with a high degree of success, with or without minimal exposure to X-ray radiation to the patient and physician.”

Another notable technology is that of remote monitoring with devices such implantable defibrillators. These can help monitor patients almost completely from the comfort of their homes, he added.

Dr. Omar Al Falasi, Consultant Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist associated with the Emirates Cardiac Society, said: “Modern technologies have contributed greatly to managing heart diseases and have opened up direct communication between the patient and doctor.”

Giving an example, he said that the latest device, the implantable loop recorder easily enables the physician to diagnose arrhythmia. “This has played a very important role in diagnosing patients with palpitations which was difficult to diagnose before.”

Dr. Omar Al Falasi, Consultant Cardiologist and Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Emirates Cardiac Society

Recent advancements in cardiac electrophysiology

Recent technological additions include smart watches or smart devices that can give an ECG tracing. Smartwatches have also received approval for the diagnosis of defibrillation with very high accuracy.

“The latest generation of defibrillators especially from Abbott and Medtronic allow telephone communication with the device that can also send alerts to physicians allowing for an accurate follow-up with patients in case of device or software failure,” said Dr. Al Falasi.

Three-dimensional mapping has also had a significant impact on patients in improving the safety of procedures by reducing radiation exposure and refining the precision of procedures and also improving success rates.

According to Dr. Al Jaabari, these technologies not only benefit the patient but also physicians by improving their ability to perform the procedures. “Other innovations such as leadless pacemakers allow electrophysiologists to perform pacemaker procedures on patients who may be too ill or frail to tolerate a standard pacemaker procedure,” he said.

“Remote monitoring has also had a significant impact on the quality of life for patients with devices as they no longer have to visit the hospital frequently for device checks. In addition, the monitoring allows physicians to identify issues or rhythm concerns earlier when the patient is under continuous monitoring.”

Dr. Al Falasi said that the patient just needs to have his phone in the same room as the device to send alerts directly to a physician.

“We noticed the utility of these inventions, especially during the Covid era where we could follow up with our high-risk patients on a regular basis using telecardiology-enabled devices.”

However, since electrophysiology is a developing field, there are several challenges, ranging from high costs to a lack of patient perception, that still needs to be overcome.

“Some challenges are related to patient perceptions due to a lack of understanding of this complex field. Patients often have a perception that electrophysiology procedures pose a high risk with low success rates, while on the contrary, this is not true. Most electrophysiology procedures are extremely safe and have high success rates. Unfortunately, these false perceptions may cause patients to avoid seeking the beneficial care of these procedures.”

He also said that due to the highly specialised and relatively young nature of the specialty, even some physicians may not be aware of the advances in the field and may not refer patients to an electrophysiologist when needed.

“The fact that electrophysiology is a field of rapid and frequent technological innovation often translates to a high cost for the equipment and devices, which can sometimes limit the accessibility and financial feasibility to certain patients or healthcare settings and networks,” added Dr. Al Jaabri.