Let’s take a look at some of the latest health tech news stories to have caught our eye.
All Abu Dhabi healthcare facilities connected to Malaffi platform through image exchange solution
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has shared how all healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi are now connected to the Malaffi platform, a health information exchange platform designed to securely connect public and private healthcare providers and create a centralised database of unified patient records.
The connection has been supported by Malaffi’s integration with Philips’ Image Exchange Solution, enabling clinicians to access X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasound images which have been performed in authorised facilities within the Emirate. Philips’ solution reportedly provides access to more than four million scans and images across 67 healthcare facilities in Abu Dhabi, including hospitals, medical centres, clinics and mobile health units.
DoH states that this access to radiology images is “essential for clinicians to make better decisions to improve the delivery of high-quality, informed and effective patient care”, with the benefits of reducing duplicate radiology investigations; reducing radiation exposure; minimising time and effort; and removing the need for patients to take hard copy of scans to their appointments.
UN launches Joint Digital Health Programme to strengthen digital healthcare in Kyrgyzstan
The UN has launched a new Digital Health Programme to strengthen digital healthcare in Kyrgyzstan, aiming to improve access to healthcare by creating “a fully interoperable digital health ecosystem”, expanding telehealth services, and streamlining e-health initiatives. Funded by the UN Joint Sustainable Development Goals Fund, and with a total budget of just over $4 million, the programme is set to run to 2027.
As well as linking health facilities with the national electronic health record platform, the programme will offer a portal for citizens to access records, results, and other health data. Telemedicine services will be targeted at vulnerable populations including women, children, and those with disabilities, who will be offered “essential medical consultations”, digital sick leave certificates, and have their vaccinations digitally tracked.
Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Health referred to the programme as “a critical step towards modernising our health sector”, speaking of his hopes that improving access to “critical health data” will empower citizens and healthcare providers, “ultimately leading to better health outcomes”.
Construction underway on National Digital Health Center in Togo
Construction of the National Digital Health Center in Togo, West Africa, is reported to be underway, with the build estimated to take around 20 months in total. The Center will focus on three major areas, including using technology to reduce maternal and child mortality in Togo by making digital and diagnostic tools such as obstetric ultrasound available to vulnerable populations, and promoting the use of remote analysis by specialists in the field.
Binta Sanneh, resident representative of the UNDP in Togo, said that the project reflects the “shared ambition” of the UNDP and the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene in Togo, to “sustainably address the problem of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the use of digital technology”.
According to the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene in Togo, the Center will help ensure “effective operational governance of digitisation activities in the health sector”, including in telemedicine, teleconsultations, and “continuing and distance learning”.
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development announces AED370 million for digital transformation in Jordan
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has announced AED370 million in funding for digital transformation in Jordan, with Emirati company Presight and the Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship set to take the lead on implementation.
Looking to leverage the “combined expertise” offered by both nations, the project will establish an integrated system for the exchange and storage of health information, building a link between various health centres in Jordan and a unified digital platform that is “accessible, reliable, and efficient”.
The project will be informed by a “comprehensive” assessment of Jordan’s current health IT infrastructure, evaluating the interoperability of health systems and the effectiveness of current data security.
Fraser Health, Canada, to introduce AI and machine learning to help manage demand and scheduling
Fraser Health, Canada, has shared plans to introduce three AI and machine learning solutions to help predict demand and manage scheduling across its Eagle Ridge and Burnaby Hospitals. The collaboration with Deloitte is one of nine Canadian health projects to receive $21 million in funding “to pioneer the deployment of AI solutions”.
A new tool will be launched in the coming months across both hospitals to help forecast demand in emergency care, following a reportedly successful pilot in July. The tool is expected to support physicians in predicting patient volumes and trends when preparing their schedules, as well as helping managers run different scheduling scenarios so that they can “digitally test out what the patient flow could look like”.
Burnaby Hospital will also see the introduction of an “AI-driven surge prediction model” designed to help predict demand for care over a seven-day period, with the tool also capable of proactively adjusting staffing levels “in the event of a surge”. During validation testing, the model was found to predict surges with “91 percent accuracy for the next day and 81 percent accuracy up to seven days in advance”.
Seven projects in Korea aim to drive transformative change in healthcare
Seven new healthcare projects have been announced under the Korean ARPA-H Initiative, with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute sharing details and issuing a call for research and development proposals to help implement them.
The initiative is designed to “tackle national challenges through ambitious endeavours” by driving transformative changes to healthcare, and will reportedly allocate KRW 1.1628 trillion from 2024 to 2032 for research and development efforts focusing on establishing health security; overcoming “unconquered” diseases; securing technologies in biohealth; improving welfare and care; and advancing “essential” medical services.
September saw project managers appointed for the missions focusing on securing technologies in biohealth as well as overcoming disease and advancing essential medical services. The seven new projects in these areas have been planned through demand surveys, big data analysis and expert consultations, and include developing ten early screening technologies for cancers affecting people in their 20s and 30s; developing innovative medical technologies, and creating an AI-enabled regionally comprehensive emergency patient classification and transport system.
Malian government shares strategic plan for national digital health 2024 – 2028
The Malian government has published its strategic plan for national digital health 2024 – 2028, aiming to “improve accessibility, quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of national health systems”. Focusing on “seamless connectivity”, “continuous access to health information”, enhancing coverage in remote or rural areas, and strengthening emergence response, the plan highlights that despite advances in health tech over the last 15 years, the level of maturity and interoperability is estimated to be at an “emerging” level rather than optimised.
The government sets out a series of sub-projects needing to be completed in order to achieve these goals, including the development of the secure health messaging system and the System Interoperability Framework Health Information System (CI-SIS), and a community IS which will be the first of these projects to launch.
Strategic actions include strengthening governance and leadership for digital health, ensuring communication on proposed digital interventions “at all levels of the health pyramid”, and monitoring and evaluating digital health implementation activities.
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