Specialized centres of excellence key to meeting GCC healthcare goals By Georges Chidiac, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SAICOHEALTH.
With the global healthcare landscape becoming ever more complex, governments across the GCC region are increasingly acknowledging the importance of the sector to socio-economic diversification and growth. National agendas in both Saudi Arabia (Saudi Vision 2030) and the UAE (Vision 2021) highlight world-class healthcare as integral to creating sustainable economies and committed societies.
With the global healthcare landscape becoming ever more complex, governments across the GCC region are increasingly acknowledging the importance of the sector to socio-economic diversification and growth. National agendas in both Saudi Arabia (Saudi Vision 2030) and the UAE (Vision 2021) highlight world-class healthcare as integral to creating sustainable economies and committed societies.
The
definition of world-class healthcare is broad, however specialised centres of
excellence (COEs) are leading the way in serving increasing patient
expectations and demand for more personalised services. As the name suggests
COEs are primarily designed to deliver high-quality care consistently. They are
specialised programmes that supply exceptionally high concentrations of
expertise and resources focused on particular medical areas and delivered in a
comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion.
They
are also a key cornerstone to fostering a strong base for medical tourism, which
the region seeks to be a leader in, providing options for medical tourists from
around the globe and preventing GCC residents having to travel far and wide in
search of the best treatment.
Specialisation
in healthcare is also taking on greater importance to service the region’s
elderly. According to the United Nations Population Fund, by 2050, the GCC’s
ageing population – those aged 60 plus – is expected to be at an all-time high
of 20.66 percent, the highest in the Arab World.
Challenges
and opportunities
With
competition continuing to grow, healthcare institutions and providers are under
increasing pressure to differentiate themselves by offering tailored services
that deliver quality care in certain medical areas. Specialised COEs provide
significant opportunities to stand out and help redefine the industry. Regarded
as hubs for expertise and innovation, specialised COEs have the ability to deliver
superior quality through the focused application of innovative tools,
technologies, and techniques. They are also able to attract significant talent,
of both clinical and administrative, combining service delivery excellence with
efficient management to the benefit of patients.
Centres
specialising in cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, ophthalmology, bariatric
surgery, and neurology, arguably offer the greatest number of opportunities
with many of these specialities required to service the region’s growing
60-plus population.
Success
in excellence
The
most successful centres of excellence are those that believe in the principle
that quality attracts patients. Those across the region that adhere to that
principle have the best chance to succeed, service excellence combined with
cultural sensitivities will put many minds, particularly the old generation, at
ease.
Another
winning formula for centres of excellence is that they become highly attractive
to ambitious and dedicated professionals, enhancing the possibility of
recruiting the best physicians, nurses, administrators, and technicians.
Raising
the standards
The
existence of COEs can also positively impact the healthcare industry as a
whole, with institutions, hospitals and clinics reassessing their service
quality in an attempt to compete in a challenging market, raising the standards
across the board.
At
the same time COEs have the potential to positively impact a range of service
lines. Their high appeal can result in cross-selling opportunities for external
services, which can accelerate sector development. COEs can also improve the
sector’s financial performance by boosting patient volume and establishing
service standards that attract optimum fee levels for highly specialised care.
Cost reduction
COEs
provide an avenue for cost reduction through standardisation and quality
improvement. By creating standard protocols, healthcare teams at COEs can more
consistently meet quality targets and improve care efficiency. This, in turn,
creates cost savings that can be reinvested in the overall patient experience.
Delivering the right care at the right time, in the best setting, reduces waste
and improves outcomes.
From
an insurer’s standpoint, SAICOHEALTH promises to offer clients value and
enhanced quality at reduced costs, this is precisely what regional COEs will help
us achieve. Working together with COEs, we can anticipate costs in advance,
expect high-quality medical services versus referring patients to general
hospitals were value is often not optimised. COEs can without any doubt highly
contribute to an efficient management of the health insurance plan, improve
customer retention and provide renewal premiums sustainability.
COEs
will be a game changer in the region’s healthcare landscape as they provide a
platform for the healthcare systems to align physicians in quality improvement,
reduce costs through greater efficiencies and create market differentiation
through clinical excellence and high patient satisfaction. In other words, it
is a positive step in the provision of real value-based care for patients.