JEDDAH – GCC governments were encouraged to implement digital technologies in the healthcare sector to increase quality and productivity, a recent study by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the leading global management consulting firm, revealed. The study noted that the move will also support transition to a prevention-focused healthcare system which is the need of the hour for the local markets. GCC governments are exerting strenuous efforts to assure quality in the sector and keep pace with the needs of their growing young population. Governments' share of health expenditure typically ranges between 63 percent and 80 percent of the total healthcare spend. This significant expense is coupled with rapid annual increases of over 10 percent in some GCC countries. It seems increasingly evident that the traditional GCC model for healthcare provision will need some changes to address the challenges faced by the industry at present. The local GCC governments can start tapping into the power of digital technologies to improve the services of the healthcare sector and elevate the industry's efficiencies. "Today's technologies readily enable the analysis of quantitative and outcomes-based data across large population groups, allowing online and video consultations and providing intelligent self-diagnosis and self-management tools. In addition, there are various other innovations that could improve healthcare costs, quality and access,” said Kapil Bhatia, Principal, Boston Consulting Group. “While developments in technology for healthcare are broad and plentiful, in many cases they are still experimental. However, a number of developments stand out as they have been proven to work in real life scenarios and are particularly promising for potential application in the GCC region,” he added. If digital technologies are applied astutely, they have the potential to reshape the healthcare system for patients, providers, payers and society. By using readily-available technologies, patients could manage their own health and wellbeing far better, and make informed choices relating to healthcare providers and level of care needed. Patient treatment assistance; for instance the use of mobile phone apps to increase compliance, online pharmacy services to ensure timely delivery of medicine, online helpdesks using audio-visual material for questions about treatments, well-being apps that allow patients to track and register vital statistics and can be monitored by a treatment team remotely. These services could generate great benefits in an environment where public knowledge on health and diseases is limited while trust and access to medical specialists is often complicated Another important example is of remote consultations and treatment. Patients can benefit from remote treatment options, such as video consultations and secure emails between physicians and patients. Remote clinics would not have all the specialists present in the clinic but rather a core staff for emergency care and to operate the diagnostics equipment. The specialist in the major health center gives instructions by video conferencing and is able to see the output of the diagnostics on his own screen. Technology like this can make the reach of medical expertise much larger especially useful to address rural populations in the larger GCC countries. For this potential to be fully realized, policymakers in the GCC will need to take two broad actions: remove barriers that prevent prompt adoption of newer technologies and encourage experimentation and development within the social and digital channels. Since these upgrades may initially add strain to healthcare systems already burdened with technology, complexity, and costs, GCC governments need to be mindful and selective of the measures chosen. The impulse to embark on large-scale IT programs, for example, should be moderated – in many cases, simple modular solutions would prove more effective. — SG
