Special Features
mHealth To Forge The Future Of Healthcare In The Middle East
Rising costs, scarce resources and lack of capacity, coupled with the rise in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are all contributing to a crisis in healthcare in the Arab World with a huge burden on the existing healthcare systems in the region.Mobile health technology allows medical professionals to manage many patients remotely. This technology can monitor their conditions in real time and pass on vital statistical information between the healthcare provider and the patient.
mHealth is a new and booming trend in the healthcare industry, and is set to become a trillion dollar industry allowing the delivery of better healthcare whilst positively impacting the bottom line across the range of stakeholders in the healthcare industry. The first mplushealth conference, brought to you by Arab Health and Ovum, will take place on 24 January 2012 at the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress in Dubai with a view to forge the future of mobile health in the Middle East.
Simon Page, Managing Director, Life Sciences, Informa Exhibitions, the organiser of Arab Health, says: “Research has indicated that the annual consumer market for mobile monitoring devices is projected to increase in 2011 from US$7.7 billion to US$43 billion. Currently, 94% of physicians are using mobile health consulting apps while on the job and 63% of physicians are using personal devices for mobile health solutions that aren’t connected to their practice. ”
“It is an extremely innovative idea to bring together the healthcare community and technology vendors like us, to see what kind of solutions we can offer to the community in bringing mobile healthcare technology to the region,” says Santanu Biswas, Director of eHealth Services at Du, and Chairman of the mplushealth conference. “mHealth is becoming a buzz word and it is the opportunity to change the way healthcare is delivered in the region by making healthcare more patient-centric.”
According to Mr Biswas, “With higher bandwidth and faster networks being brought to smart phones in the region, mHealth is becoming an effective way to deliver healthcare. mplushealth differentiates itself from other mHealth conferences by including a vital stakeholder into the foray of discussion; the healthcare professional. Arab health is a great opportunity to host a seminar that drives content suited to these stakeholders.”
The mplushealth Conference is the only platform in the region where healthcare professionals, insurance providers, government regulators and telecommunications decision-makers come together to understand the future of mobile healthcare in the Middle East. The conference is planned around a group of key sessions that will address not only what healthcare providers or professionals want to hear, but also some of the key critical issues that healthcare in the region faces today.
Another key aspect is about technology; the need to understand standards, interoperability and integration between systems and the role played by telecom operations.
Established 37 years ago, the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress provides a platform for the world’s leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet the medical and scientific community in the Middle East and beyond. Arab Health is the world’s second largest medical exhibition and the world’s largest multi-track medical congress, making it the perfect place to launch the series of mplushealth conferences to a truly global audience.
Arab Health Exhibition and Congress will take place from 23 – 26 January, 2012, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibitions Centre. For more information visit www.arabhealthonline.com or call +971 4 336 5161.
