Digital Transformation of Healthcare in the Gulf Cooperation Council, 2018

The Rising Life Expectancy and the Growing Demand for Healthcare Services Create Opportunities for Technology Providers

This market insight highlights global healthcare trends and the GCC’s position in relation to these developments. It also assesses opportunities for technology providers with a focus on the penetration potential of key medical technologies. Countries under study are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman.

Top 3 predictions:

• Increased private sector participation (from providers (hospitals) to insurers) will be observed, while the government will remain a key player in the healthcare system. The sector will become more efficient, resources (medical professionals and equipment) will be utilized better, and patient turnaround time will reduce.
• EHR and EMR will facilitate the healthcare value chain-diagnosis, prescription of medication, and treatment. This will help to provide detailed medical histories, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses. Over the years, these databases will become rich sources of information on disease incidence, which will help policymakers develop more robust healthcare strategies.
• Investments in medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and hospital infrastructure will increase rapidly. Remote diagnosis and treatment, particularly of chronic conditions such as diabetes, will free up resources and allow medical professionals to focus on more complex cases.

Key Features

• The GCC’s healthcare sector has recorded significant growth in terms of services offered and infrastructure developments.
• Due to population growth, the rising life expectancy, and the higher incidence of non-communicable diseases, GCC countries are registering growing demand for healthcare services.
• GCC governments have defined healthcare as one of the key focus areas, and substantial investments are being made in the sector.
• While turmoil in oil prices continues, public health expenditure remains a priority for governments. The private sector will play a key role by entering into public-private partnerships.
• The rising demand for better healthcare services in the region and global advancements in medical technologies have opened up a number of opportunities for information technology (IT) organizations to tap into this growing sector.

Key Issues Addressed

• What are the digital transformation trends in healthcare?
• How is the GCC positioned in terms of these trends?
• What is the impact of these trends on technology providers?
• How can technology providers leverage this opportunity?
• What steps have the respective GCC governments taken to sustain themselves through the digital disruption?