GE Healthcare and Prof. Hakki Muammer Karakas, M.D., Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate Radiology Services Coordinator & Health Sciences University Faculty Member, have announced the country’s first strategic collaboration to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development in medical imaging.

Prof. Dr. Karakas will lead the research and development teams comprised of distinguished clinicians, radiologists, scientists from different disciplines, senior data scientists and software developers who have come together under the newly established company CUREA, at TECHNOPOL Istanbul. Using GE Healthcare’s Edison Health Services, the teams will work to develop AI-based applications focused on the detection, categorization and severity grading of COVID-19 to diagnose and treat patients; as well as develop AI-based applications for automatic detection and classification of breast lesions through contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CESM).

Related: Impact of COVID-19 on radiology services

Advances in medical imaging constantly increase our knowledge of diseases and their treatments, creating a surge in the amount of data generated. For each patient to benefit from the promises of personalized medicine, new AI-based tools are needed to aggregate, standardize, and make sense of this data quickly.

However, the development of AI applications in medical imaging requires access to large amounts of high-quality annotated data, advanced design visualization capabilities and the ability to trace the development and learnings – which can be a challenge. The collaboration between CUREA and GE Healthcare will leverage large-scale clinical and radiological data from the University of Health Sciences and using the AI-know how and capabilities of the research and development teams led by Prof. Dr. Karakas, work to accelerate the development of AI solutions and help structure an AI healthcare ecosystem in Turkey.

Related: Innovation takes centre stage in the fight against COVID-19

Commenting on the collaboration, Prof. Karakas said: “Leveraging the power of GE Healthcare’s Edison Health Services, Turkish clinical scientists, data scientists and software developers will be able to harness our immense datasets to create AI-driven applications that can add significant value to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in Turkey. This is an organic tie-up that has the potential not only to establish Istanbul as a global site for AI development in healthcare, but the ability to scale up intelligent clinical analysis and operational management solutions and make them available to radiologists and healthcare professionals around the world.”

Nael Dabbagh, General Manager of GE Healthcare in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Turkey, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that will gradually give Turkish start-ups, researchers and radiologists the opportunity to create AI applications in medical imaging that can dramatically enhance treatment and diagnosis of disease in Turkey and beyond. It is also a significant step forward in establishing an ecosystem for AI development in healthcare for Turkey and the whole region, thanks to the leadership and vision of Prof. Dr. Karakas and his team.”

Edison Health Services is an open, extensible, modern architecture for the development and deployment of digital applications in healthcare. Applications targeting clinical, operational and financial outcomes in healthcare can easily be developed using these tools.  Applications developed using Edison Health Services can be quickly and securely deployed in the cloud, on premise (e.g.,via GE Healthcare’s Edison HealthLink appliance), or directly onto smart imaging devices.

Previous AI collaborations announced in Europe have focused on the management of liver cancer with artificial intelligence characterization tools, the diagnosis and prognosis of lung diseases, and the accuracy and personalization of treatments for brain cancer or patient follow-up through imaging tools and multidisciplinary consultation meetings. Similarly, the recently launched EMEA Edison Accelerator is a start-up acceleration & healthcare provider collaboration program in Europe, Middle East & Africa, for the region and the world. It brings together healthcare providers interested in being at the forefront of innovation, and start-ups who want to leverage the GE Healthcare environment and mentoring to enhance their value proposition.

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Strategic Public-Private Partnerships Transforming the Telehealth Market in the KSA and the UAE, 2020–2025, finds that telehealth is a promising model for healthcare services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both governments are developing robust digital health infrastructure to support telehealth services. The buoyant market—which includes virtual visits, mHealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM)—in the UAE is estimated to reach US$536.5 million by 2025 from US$121 million in 2019, at an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.2 per cent. Similarly, in the KSA, the market is likely to reach US$415.4 million over the forecast period from US$113.3 million in 2019, registering growth at a 24.2% CAGR. With the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth’s scope is widening as social distancing has created an unanticipated demand for telehealth and made it an important technology to evaluate, manage and track patients without in-person examinations.

“The launching of the Innovation Strategy 2019-2021 and Digital Health Strategy 2018 by the UAE and KSA governments, respectively, is the key factor driving digital transformation in the healthcare sector in both countries,” said a Healthcare Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Further, the rising demand for consumer-centric services and tools in the healthcare system and increasing participation of the private sector through various public-private partnership (PPP) models are leading the countries’ telehealth sectors toward maturity at a rapid pace. Large healthcare organizations are partnering with retail, healthcare IT, ICT, Medtech and insurance companies.”

Related: UAE embraces telehealth in battle against COVID-19

Analyst added: “In KSA, as health insurance becomes compulsory, almost 90 per cent of healthcare spending in the next decade will be driven by private insurance; therefore, the need for management and preventive care will intensify the competition among private participants. The main competition will be in the direct-to-consumer route and partnerships with private or public healthcare facilities. The UAE is gearing up to fully exploit the benefits offered by telehealth. The adoption of mainstream telehealth services is rising steadily, and governments of different emirates are taking concerted effort to scale up across the country.”

Both countries’ focus on wellness and preventive care will catapult investment toward social determinants of health (SDOH) projects, presenting tremendous growth prospects for telehealth market participants. For further revenue opportunities:

• Telehealth service providers should provide a 360-degree solution with a regulation-compliant health information system (HIS), which can support patients from remote triage to the entire continuum of care.
• Companies specializing in specific digital health aspects should collaborate to form a single entity or a platform that serves multiple digital health needs.
• Remote patient monitoring companies should explore telehealth’s market potential in UAE and KSA. Rising awareness and healthcare consumerism will create the demand for home-based care through real-time remote monitoring devices. The Dubai Health Authority initiative “Doctor for Every Citizen” will provide medical service at the point of care and Dawaee app.
• Private telehealth product and service providers should partner with government healthcare bodies to implement and scale-up telehealth initiatives and overcome regulatory obstacles. Virtual visit software and service providers have opted to take the B2B and B2G routes by partnering with corporates, insurance companies and healthcare facilities.
• Industry players should consider upcoming virtual hospitals and clinics in the UAE and KSA that will create the demand for connected medical devices, such as robotic surgery systems, medical mobile devices, telemedicine kits and digital cameras.

Strategic initiatives for the development of innovative microsurgery robot devices is expected to impel the microsurgery robot market growth. Increasing preference for minimally invasive surgeries owing to quick recovery time is anticipated to drive the demand for microsurgery robots. Improvements in healthcare infrastructure and the introduction of advanced medical systems and technologies like the miniaturization of medical robots could have a positive influence on market expansion.

Microsurgery robots are widely used in oncological, cardiovascular, and neurological surgeries. Advanced surgical robots find application in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centres, which is expected to raise the number of robotic-assisted surgical procedures. Considering rising application, microsurgery robot manufacturers are working on novel, advanced technologies and products. For example, in 2020, medical device company, Titan Medical announced the launch of a new brand identity and name for their robotic surgical system that is under development, known as the Enos robotic single access surgical system.

Related: DHA doctors perform first-ever intrauterine foetal surgery in Arab region

Based on such developments, Global Market Insights, Inc., suggests that the microsurgery robot market may surpass US$2.1 billion by 2026.

How are chronic diseases and lifestyle habits impacting industry growth?

Chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and neurological disorders is driving the need for numerous surgical procedures. Sedentary lifestyle changes like alcohol consumption and smoking are likely to lead to high disease prevalence, furthering the need for microsurgery robot devices in clinical procedures.

Which type of surgery is majorly incorporating robots?

Related: New technological advancements in cataract surgery to benefit UAE patients

Microsurgery robots are steadily gaining application in oncology surgeries. The oncology surgery segment gained about 20 per cent market share in 2019 and is projected to grow substantially owing to rising prevalence of cancer across the world.

As per a report by the WHO, around 9.6 million deaths occurred worldwide in 2018. Robotic surgery can be used for the treatment of different types of cancer including prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and others.

How are research institutes fuelling the demand for microsurgery robots?

Increasing number of research projects being conducted worldwide are expected to raise the demand for microsurgery robots. The research institutes segment recorded over 14.4 per cent CAGR in the analysis timeframe. The need to enhance accuracy of surgery and decrease the cost of surgical robots is likely to increase the number of R&D activities. Support by government organisations and funding in research activities is some other segment growth drivers.

Currently, companies such as Zimmer Biomet, Intuitive Surgical, Meerecompany, Medtronic, Stryker, Medrobotics Corporation, Auris Health (Johnson & Johnson), Smith & Nephew, Corindus Inc. (Siemens Healthineers), Titan Medical, and TransEnterix Surgical are the major contenders in the global microsurgery robot market. These firms are focusing on improving their market position through business strategies such as new product development, R&D activities, and geographical expansions.

There are over 1 million people living with diabetes in the UAE, placing the country 15th worldwide for age-adjusted comparative prevalence. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar all also feature in the top twenty countries in terms of prevalence worldwide.

Trends from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) also indicate that the prevalence of diabetes in the UAE is rising at a faster rate than both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the rest of the world. Rapid economic growth, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets characteristic to the UAE are all risk factors, leading to the number of people with diabetes expecting to double to 2.2 million by 2040.

Related: Link between diabetes and osteoporosis in the spotlight for UAE patients

In welcomed research, scientists at the University of Birmingham have broadened our understanding of how ‘weak’ cells bond with their more mature cellular counterparts to boost the body’s production of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus occurs when β-cells cannot release enough insulin – a tightly controlled process requiring hundreds of such cells clustered together to co-ordinate their response to signals from food, such as sugar, fat and gut hormones.

Related: Diabetes management in the times of COVID-19

The international research team discovered that immature β-cells (PDX1LOW/MAFALOW) are able to overcome their relative deficiencies by partnering with ‘stronger’ counterparts to drive insulin release.

Publishing their findings in Nature Communications, the researchers reveal that subtle differences in the levels of PDX1 and MAFA proteins (found only in β-cells), and more broadly, differences in β-cell maturity, contribute to how clusters of insulin-producing cells, known as islets, function.

The corresponding author David Hodson, Professor of Cellular Metabolism, at the University of Birmingham, commented: “This is the first glimpse that immature cells might contribute to the regulation of insulin release across the islet. Our study indicates a promising line of investigation that could be leveraged to make islets more resilient during type 2 diabetes or when generating new islets in a ‘dish’ for the purpose of transplantation.”

Epinest, the French health software publisher and expert in optimizing hospital protocols and patient care pathways, will visit the UAE this week to meet health professionals and hospitals in order to introduce its latest advancements in the sector.

Since 2013, Epinest has brought together, trained and selected experts in three areas of expertise H.R.I.S solutions (consulting and integration), new technologies development & implementation and SmartHealth.

Related: How Malaffi is supporting the coordination and continuity of cancer care

After years of Research and Development, with the same dedicated passion for combining  technology and improving people’s quality of life, Epinest launched its first eHealth EU certified products into  the market, leading to all of its solutions being recognized internationally by major healthcare establishments such as François Baclesse Hospital Center, the Cotentin Public Hospital Center, as well as strong partners in the field of public research; namely, the GREYC Laboratory of the French National Center for Scientific Research.

Some of the key developments that will be presented in Dubai include:

Related: Digital trends in the healthcare industry in 2021

1. OPTIMA Onco, a software solution improving the patient journey while relieving the nursing staff and minimize losses at all levels by optimizing the entire patient care process. OPTIMA Onco benefits from an E.U. (C.E.) marking and is certified by the French Public High Authority of Healthcare.

2. Biotop Portal, the ideal solution to break down barriers between hospitals and private medical practitioners and clinics; it’s a unique interface allowing all nursing and medical staff involved in the patient journey and operating outside the patient’s hospital to quickly have access to their entire information files including, prescriptions, high-resolution medical images, blood test results etc. The entire data record is available in real time and with very high security and interoperability requirements.

3. The MiDiPath project (Digital Microscopy in Pathological Anatomy and Cytology) which aims to develop new digital tools, providing pathologists with assistance (in the diagnosis and prognosis of serious pathologies) to the detection of rare elements applied to specific types of tumors, using artificial intelligence technology.

“Our mission is to support hospitals in the transformation and optimization of their processes, while having in mind both patient comfort, rationalization of medical time and better economic performance. Additionally, our long-term partnerships with esteemed healthcare organizations have triggering the advent of new modes of collaboration conducive to more innovation (IA, IoT, Patient-Centric, etc.) and to the co-construction of the health ecosystem of tomorrow”, expressed Elyes Ben Mansour, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Epinest.

Epinest has been growing in global presence from France to Canada. Further to this launch in the UAE, it aims to establish presence across the region by 2023.

 

The first vaccines have been administered throughout the world, hopefully spelling the beginning of the end for the pandemic. While it is expected that social distancing and other coronavirus-related regulations will continue well into 2021, there is optimism about an eventual return to normality. However, the historic effects of the pandemic will continue for those who have contracted the virus, as well as for those who have served as carers, parents, and essential workers.

After the pressure of the pandemic is eased, many people will begin to feel the effects of mental burnout and ‘Long Covid’. Understanding the long-term symptoms of the coronavirus, it is clear that the virus will continue to impact public health in the future, even when the risk of the pandemic is reduced. Here, we look at the people suffering from the consequences of COVID-19, and how these effects can be relieved.

Related: Emerging from the pandemic: The long-term impact of COVID-19

Fatigue

Since the initial peak of the coronavirus pandemic, reports of continuing symptoms of COVID-19 after the infectious period have raised concerns as to the long-term effects of the illness. Appropriately, this was coined as ‘Long Covid’.

Related: AI assists in recovery of COVID-19 patients

Lasting symptoms of the coronavirus can include:

• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Muscle pain
• Anxiety
• Depression

A recent study by King’s College London showed that one in twenty people will experience symptoms of the coronavirus lasting longer than eight weeks. This would suggest that over 87,000 people had suffered the effects of Long Covid by mid-December.

However, there are suggestions that the effects of Long Covid can be alleviated by natural supplementary support. With symptoms similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, some medical professionals are advocating, for example, the use of Coenzyme Q10 as a vitamin for recovering from Long Covid. Dr Chris Steele addressed Long Covid symptoms on national television, suggesting that “quality counts” when it comes choosing the Q10 supplement. Studies have shown significant benefits with supplementation of Q10 effecting their fatigue status – one of the demobilising effects of post-virus life.

The deficiency of lockdown

There was a dramatic shift in the habitual experience during lockdowns. With an emphasis on staying home as much as possible, it is unsurprising that both physical and mental health was affected.

For example, reduced sunlight exposure from remaining indoors may have contributed to a deficiency of vitamin D. According to the NHS, vitamin D helps “keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.”

As joint and muscle pain are common with Long Covid, there is evidence to suggest that the effects of the virus and Long Covid are worse among those with this deficiency. In fact, recent studies are exploring the links between respiratory viral infections and vitamin D. Both Scottish and English authorities are now providing the most vulnerable in society with free vitamin D3 supplements to alleviate the potential damage of the virus. The NHS continues to advocate supplementary use of the vitamin year-round for everyone.

However, there has been more than a chemical deficiency during the lockdown. Restrictions on physical exercise and social interaction may have contributed to a reduction in mental health. As well as guidance to protecting our physical health against the virus, the Government and various NHS foundations have published guidance on protecting our mental health – especially after the coronavirus.

Communication and exercise are key to recovering mental health, according to one NHS Foundation Trust. Recognising that anxiety is high during the pandemic, talking to someone is the best way to avoid mental burnout. Talking through your problems with another person is essential for avoiding unnecessary stress. This can be done virtually or in-person while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Additionally, the Government recommends adding exercise to your daily routine. Meaningful activities are suggested to help with mental health. Physical movement can also help reduce anxiety and depression.

A future of work

The pandemic has changed everyone’s lives, but arguably more so for our frontline workers. The conditions of working under increased scrutiny, regulation, and demand have created a mental burnout among many sectors of work.

For NHS staff, anxiety has hit a peak level. A YouGov poll in April 2020 of 750 NHS workers found that 69 per cent of respondents would rate their anxiety as a five or above. Deaths from coronavirus have nearly trebled since then, no doubt continuing to contribute to this feeling. The pandemic has forced some NHS staff to rethink their working position, with seven per cent of workers saying they were unlikely to stay in the healthcare sector after the pandemic ends.

The education sector was also a key victim of the pandemic. However, research points out that the lockdown helped improved feelings of anxiety amongst teachers. Before the lockdown was announced, one in eight teachers reported high anxiety as a consequence of the coronavirus. After the lockdown announced, this number was reduced to only one in twenty.

However, where schools closed, home classrooms were opened. The pressure of education was passed on to parents. Parents now had the added pressure of multiple decisions to maintain a working life, family health, and the education of their children.

While the burnout is fatiguing, one psychologist suggests that there is an optimistic angle to take away from the pandemic. Janna Koretz believes that: “This is going to make everybody’s ability to manage, cope and be flexible much better.” She ascertains that life after COVID-19 will be perceived as easier because we have been challenged by the pandemic.

While the physical effects of the coronavirus may contribute to a diminished vitality for those who have been infected, mental burnout should hopefully be a temporary measure. With the end of the pandemic closing in, thanks to the administering of the vaccine, normality is an approaching concept. However, the public still needs to ensure they are safe in the meantime – from both the virus and the mental health implications of increased pressure during this adverse period.

References available on request.

Over the years, digitisation has revolutionised the healthcare industry. There have been numerous digital transformations that have positively impacted the sector, allowing corporations and professionals to diversify. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, many aspects of the healthcare industry have irrevocably changed, enabling people to change their perspective on digitisation. Gone are the days when introducing digital elements was seen as a feasible shift towards modernisation, today reduction of staff, faultless decision-making and reliance on home-based medicine has become an urgency, instead of a conscious move. However, as we embrace the new normal, the healthcare industry is undergoing a massive transformation, dominated by digitisation. According to a report published by Jabil, 92 per cent of healthcare solutions have taken the digital route for increased consumer usage. Hence, this column will explore some trends to look forward to as we welcome 2021 with a positive attitude and mindset.

Healthcare industry’s backbone – Artificial Intelligence

In the recent past, the usage of artificial intelligence in the industry has gained tremendous momentum. Although it may seem costly at first glance, research suggests that this technology can save up to US$150 billion annually by 2026. With the aid of AI in the medical environment, Accenture regards this as the new nervous system of the industry. Some of the trending applications of AI include using them for caregiving, nursing, chatbots systems, robot-assisted surgery, virtual health assistants, medical dosage, diagnosis, precision medicine, cybersecurity and many others. 

Related: Breakthrough in non-invasive medical technology

Artificial Intelligence has been prominent in the medical product development division as well. Previously, the entire process of creating, developing and dispatching medical drugs was time-consuming. Now, with the aid of AI, pharmacists can safely explore biological and chemical interactions efficiently and effectively. 

Internet of medical things

In general, the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to devices that are connected via the internet. These include wearables, smart beds, ECG, connected inhalers, EKG monitors and other amenities. This is one digital trend that has witnessed significant growth. In 2019 alone, wearables such as smartwatches and other gadgets accounted for a whopping US$24.4 billion. By 2029, they are predicted to grow up to US$285.5 billion.

Related: AI assists in recovery of COVID-19 patients

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) will help healthcare facilities to monitor patients at homes and in fact, at any part of the world. Such connected devices will ensure that users who take their medications are monitored and make sure they attend their reminders and alarms. Some of the sought-after amenities of IoMT include checking glucose, blood-sugar levels, oxygen, measurement, healthy lifestyle monitoring, fitness tracking and even weight control.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine has played a very important role in shaping the facilities for people from rural areas to get access to doctors and specialists; thereby saving those extra hours of travel. However, with the pandemic, this has become a popular trend where it no longer applies to only people from underdeveloped places. This is one of the main reasons for corporations to actively invest in the development of these medical spheres. It has been reported that by the end of 2025, the global telemedicine market is set to cross US$113 billion. Up until now, the industry is dominated by platforms with video applications. Today, patients can easily video call their physicians with working internet, allowing them to successfully convey their concerns and get the necessary medical supervision. In one way, telehealth has contributed to providing better solutions to treat chronic illnesses. While telemedicine has been of utmost relevance in the industry, it has slowly started branching out and creating a wider target market that can enjoy its benefits.

Virtual/augmented reality

This trend has posed significant advances in the healthcare industry, from medical education to diagnosis. This specialisation has become a key enabler in fostering the overall sector where the market is projected to reach US$5.1 billion by 2025. Some of the major applications of this technology include emergency response where necessary information can be retrieved without wasting time. Another application is in the line of prevention and diagnosis for diverse conditions. With the aid of augmented reality, doctors use cameras to compare examinations and replicate the effects of treatment. Lastly, VR and AR are used in medical education. For instance, surgeons can rehearse their procedures to accomplish real operations effectively and efficiently.

There is no doubt that the healthcare industry is undergoing a massive transformation with digitisation at the forefront. However, what perhaps corporations and professionals must do is prepare for these anticipated trends.

Dr Batheja ventured into the education industry in 1998 with a vision to offer affordable, flexible and quality assured education to the UAE students. In line with this vision, he has successfully developed structured programmes in the field of healthcare, business, management and HR and has guided students to win awards and ignite their entrepreneurial journey.

Today marks World Cancer Day, a global initiative which aims to raise worldwide awareness and education around the disease. A key focus of World Cancer Day is reducing premature deaths and improving the quality of a survivor’s life – an ambitious goal recognized by our leadership in Abu Dhabi.

The Department of Health is committed to reducing cancer incidence and preventing risk factors, with early detection and reduction of mortality rates key performance indicators to providing world-class healthcare, and one of the pillars of the UAE National Agenda. As a strategic initiative of the Department of Health, Malaffi supports Abu Dhabi’s commitment to providing excellent medical care.

Now connecting 85% of hospitals across Abu Dhabi, with all hospitals to be connected by the middle of this year, Malaffi is a technology that allows healthcare providers to safely and securely, access and share a patient’s important, up-to-date medical records. For anyone living with a chronic condition or disease such as cancer, the benefits of such a tool are invaluable to healthcare teams.

Cancer is a complex disease and throughout a patient’s cancer journey, they will inevitably require a number of tests and treatments, performed by a range of caregivers, at many different facilities. Therefore, continuity and integrity of care is extremely important and can have a direct impact on successful disease management.

Previously, the information and results obtained at each of these visits was not easily shared, meaning tests were often repeated unnecessarily, potentially causing a delay in care. A unified patient database guarantees secure access to a patient’s medical records and supports efficient medical decision making. All authorized caregivers within the healthcare system will be able to access a patient’s information in real-time, leading to quicker, safer clinical decisions and avoiding delays in care and unnecessary duplication of tests and procedures.

A patient's story

Sofia is a cancer survivor. She reflects on her cancer journey, and how Malaffi supported the continuity of the care she received. “My name is Sofia Khalid, I live in Abu Dhabi and I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with a type of breast cancer, called invasive lobular carcinoma, in August 2016. I underwent treatment for 3 years and in 2019 I was declared cancer-free.

When my doctor, Mohammed Al Khateeb at HeathPlus, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, first told me about Malaffi, I thought it was a brilliant initiative. My cancer journey has taken me to numerous facilities across the Emirate and I have visited many of the large multi-disciplinary hospitals. Because they are all connected to Malaffi, my doctor had access to all my important health information, in one place.

As a cancer patient, to know that everything is captured in one place, under one file, is very reassuring. My doctors refer to me as an ‘expert patient’ – I am very hands on! I have always been involved in my healthcare, which is why my cancer was diagnosed early.

Before Malaffi was available, I fully took charge of my cancer treatment. If my latest test results weren’t on my doctor’s system, I let them know! It was a huge relief to find out that Malaffi exists so that I did not have to carry everything with me, every time I went to see someone. My medical teams have access to my medical history and information on my visits to different doctors, so they can better coordinate my care which prevents potential interruption and delays in my treatment.

With Malaffi, my medical teams can see all the medications I am taking, and I don’t need to worry that they might prescribe something that will cause a reaction. In the past, I have been prescribed a medication for my cancer that has potential serious side effects, and I have always felt the need to warn every doctor that I see about this.

With Malaffi, I know that this information is displayed as a warning for doctors. It is a relief and comfort to know that this critical information is there. As a patient, I simply love this system. It makes me happy to know that ultimately every hospital and clinic across the Emirate will be part of the system, for the benefit of all patients.”

Dr Mohammed Al Khatib, Medical Director, Consultant, Diabetes, Endocrinology & Internal Medicine HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center

“Patients diagnosed with cancer often have a long journey through the healthcare system, that requires them to be seen and treated at different facilities and by various specialists. They may need frequent follow ups and require further medical support. This creates a long and complex patient history, the details of which are vital for any follow-up visit.

The responsibility of managing this complex information often falls on the patient, which is a challenge. And doctor’s face the issue of not having access to information on their patient’s important history, which may result in inefficient clinical decisions and time-consuming administration or even duplication of tests.

As an endocrinologist, I see patients, including cancer patients, with complex medical histories. Having access to their health history through Malaffi is critical for me to instantly understand their journey and to give me important medical information to support my clinical decisions.

I also don’t need to worry about tracking down their records, or past test results, which means I don’t have to repeat unnecessary investigations and I have more valuable facetime with my patients. As a physician, I feel privileged to have access to Malaffi and my patients are moved to know that their care coordination and safety is now drastically improved.

Sofia is a patient that manages her own health with great care, and she was so delighted to hear about Malaffi. Her cancer journey has taken her though a great deal of doctor’s visits and treatments and she was relieved to know that Malaffi centralizes all her medical information, so that she did not have to worry about her doctors missing any ‘piece of the puzzle’ or carrying her papers and reports all around.

Malaffi is an excellent tool supporting the management of all kind of diseases. I use it every day for almost every patient to compare or look for previous diagnostic procedures done outside our facility.”

Dr. Hamed Al Hashemi, Director of Strategy, Department of Health – Abu Dhabi

“At the Department of Health, our objective is to reduce the incidence of cancer in Abu Dhabi, prevent premature deaths, and improve the quality of a patient’s life by increasing early detection rates and early medical interventions. Data integration and quick accessibility plays an important role in successful cancer care from prevention to palliative care.

Looking at the future of continuum of cancer care in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi we envisage the great and important role that Malaffi plays in improving patient care. With the growing amount of centralised data, future research will be easier and will enable us to measure the impact of different treatment modalities on outcomes.”

Atif Al Braiki, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, Malaffi

“At Malaffi we are committed to supporting the DOH and tackling the most pressing healthcare needs in our community. Malaffi is improving the continuity of coordination of cancer care, by centralising vital medical information, accessible to everyone that is involved in the care of these patients in the Emirate.

This also helps in preventing delays in critical care and offers reassurance to the patients that their care is handled in the best possible way across the healthcare system in the Emirate.”