A panel of experts will gather on the first day of the event to discuss how to improve digital health through cross-border collaboration.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
During the panel session “Cross-Border Collaboration: Improving Digital Health” (November 20, 13:00 – 13:50), speakers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and above will share concrete examples of how governments and health care organizations work. successfully collaborated across borders to implement various digital health initiatives. The purpose of the cross-collaboration is to improve aspects of digital healthcare, such as quality, outcomes, safety, interoperability, sustainability, and service accessibility. care service.
Topics expected to be covered include Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) collaboration on CDC surveillance, as well as exploring how data can be used to improve disease mapping across the globe. whole area. Speakers will also cover cross-border health policy implementation, challenges, and facilitators that have contributed to successful cross-regional cooperation.
The session will also present insight into potential cross-border opportunities for the future.
Appearing in “Cross-Border Collaboration: Improving Digital Health” is Badar Awladthani of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Oman, English Fatthi Alkathiry of the Gulf Health Council in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Micky Tripathi from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Ali Juma Alajme of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) in the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Naeema Alqusser representing the World Health Organization (WHO) in Egypt, and Dr. Tagreed Justinia from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University of Health Sciences in Saudi Arabia.
BIGGER BACKGROUND
While there are significant differences in the level of progress in healthcare and digitalisation across territories across MENA, experts say many of these countries share similar care challenges. health can be addressed through cross-border cooperation.
For example, the telehealth market continues to grow in the post-pandemic world – especially in more developed countries. Digital solutions such as telemedicine, as well as other services and technologies can be extended to developing territories to reduce healthcare-related costs. Cross-border public-private partnerships can also develop and expand opportunities in health technology.
However, while there are opportunities within pre-existing regional alliances that can be leveraged towards improved digital health solutions, challenges remain between countries. involved in harmonizing digital health solutions across different territories.
ON PROFILE
A recent public commitment to cross-border cooperation is by the UAE, with the Dubai Health Authority launching EJADAH, a platform that is expected to form the foundation for healthcare-based adoption. value in this emirate. Using data from partner countries, it will, according to the report, track and evaluate a number of key performance indicators that will help drive decisions, such as faster claim approval and focus focuses on preventive care in the Gulf nation and beyond.
Of course, a program like EJADAH would be very difficult to execute without data. For example, one source of this data could be from a national health information exchange.
Alajme – Director of Digital Health at MoHAP – explained to Arabian Business late last year how the UAE was successful in collating healthcare data across the country.
“[During the pandemic] We were able to break down the barriers between hospitals and connect them. Before coronavirus, access and share medical files [among healthcare providers] is a kind of taboo. However, regulations, such as the Health IT law, enacted in 2019, govern how we access health data using technology.
“To automate this, we launched the Riayati health information exchange initiative, which is based on an integrated and central healthcare system with easy access to health data. of patients in the country through the linkage of public and private healthcare facilities.”
