Dubai, UAE: Leading healthcare experts assembled to discuss the benefits and challenges of data driven care at the latest Advance Health Forum hosted by Dubai Science Park, a member of TECOM Group. The 22nd edition saw speakers address how the UAE is embracing data interoperability from a provider, payer, and regulatory standpoint to help improve healthcare locally, regionally, and globally.

The insightful session investigated the future of healthcare and highlighted the main benefits and challenges that stem from digital transformation and adopting coded-data algorithms. Speakers discussed how the benefits of a data-driven healthcare system would include better and more personalised healthcare for patients, reduced human error, accessibility to medical records around the world, more accurate and efficient services for better outcomes to patients, healthcare providers, and regulators.

Experts headlining the session included Dr Margaret Faux, CEO & Founder, Synapse Medical Services, Dr Osama El-Hassan, Health Informatics Specialist & Smart Heath dept, Dubai Health Authority, and Michael Schelper, CEO, Anvano.

Commenting on the event, Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Managing Director of DSP said: “Digital transformation is the future of all sectors, with healthcare as one significantly positioned to benefit from it. Countries around the world are striving to digitise healthcare. Estonia, Denmark and Sweden are among those leading the change. Luckily, the UAE is quickly rising up the ranks thanks to the tireless efforts of our government and wise leadership. The UAE commenced a series of critical moves already, like the UAE’s 2019 Health Data Law and NABIDH portal – launched by DHA to exchange information between providers and patients.”

He added: “While data privacy and ethics are key considerations to keep in mind, thanks to the continuous support of our government, and our district’s leading global and regional customers, several solutions are already in the works and impactful data and insights about patients in our country will be employed to better serve people and enhance the quality and competitiveness of our healthcare sector.”

Experts identified the main challenge the sector faces when it comes to coded data driven healthcare is patient privacy and data security.  Dr Osama El-Hassan emphasised the UAE’s advanced state of addressing these challenges. “The UAE was one of the first ever countries in the MENA region to introduce a data security law, the Federal Law No 2 of 2019 (Health Data Law)” Dr Osama said. He continued to introduce Nabidh, the first patient registry platform developed by the DHA which unifies and collects patient data to improve healthcare, operational excellence, and safety.

Dr Margaret Faux commended UAE’s advancement in the digital transformation of the healthcare system and adoption of coded-data algorithms, stressing the importance of addressing the challenges it entails. She stated that the solution comes from “international standardised information models and the messaging systems designed around atoms of data”.

Before the session concluded, Michael Schelper explored the topic from the consumer’s perspective. “The consumer is rising to power, and it can’t be ignored,” he stated. Schelper emphasised the essentiality of not only adapting the most recent technologies to improve the healthcare sector, but also the changing needs of consumers.

Dubai Science Park hosts the Advance Health sessions with the aim of promoting knowledge exchange, encouraging networking opportunities and improving patient outcomes in the UAE. The science-focused business district is heavily contributing to developing the emirate’s healthcare sector by nurturing a community that facilitates collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The forum was organised by Dubai Science Park in partnership with Synapse Medical Services, a healthcare administration company, and Connect Communications, a strategic healthcare communications agency.

For over two decades, TECOM Group has created strategically located and sustainable business ecosystems, including Dubai Science Park, which provide customers a vibrant environment to collaborate and thrive while cementing Dubai’s status as a global business and talent hub.