Photo by Mufid Majnun:
As the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated, digital mobile applications such as MySejahtera can serve as an effective complement to modern medical care. The development of Hello+@UM will provide Malaysia will a virtual one-stop medical centre that provides for every healthcare need. This app will not only help revolutionise our nation’s medical care, but it will also allow patients to better monitor their healthcare requirements and quickly find the treatment they need.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Malaysia, a mobile application called MySejahtera was launched to provide digital contact tracing and vaccine appointments. Even since its inception, the app has been regularly updated to optimise user satisfaction. MySejahtera is just one of many digital applications that serve to complement modern medical care. And one of latest applications being developed to digitalise the Malaysian healthcare system is Hello+@UM.
Hello+@UM is an integrated digital health monitoring system that aims to create a virtual one-stop medical centre catering for all healthcare needs (specifically tuberculosis) and providing quick and easy access to healthcare for everyone. With a quick turnaround time and high adherence and compliance from the population, Hello+@UM can revolutionise modern medical care and lead us to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Hello+@UM is being developed based on the following key objectives:
Enhancing Physicians’ Effectiveness
Hello+@UM will help physicians perform their jobs more efficiently. With the aid of technology, Hello+@UM can flag health hazards at an early stage and provide remote monitoring of biomarkers to detect precursors for serious illnesses. These digital biomarkers are then integrated into the electronic health records (EHR) and linked to the hospital database. Once a health hazard has been flagged, the physicians and patients will be alerted to schedule virtual or physical clinic appointments. Thus, more timely therapy can be addressed.
Hello+@UM also aims to digitise patient-centred medicine, thus minimizing the time needed to find available specialists. By applying artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices with seamless data transmission, we will be able to quickly develop a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals capable of providing patients with holistic care and thus optimise the treatment outcome.
Designed for use in rural areas
Although the establishment of a stable internet connection will be difficult in rural landscapes, Hello+@UM is designed to be used offline thus circumventing this issue. Additionally, the integration of a Global Positioning System (GPS) into the application will enable the use of
drones to deliver drugs quickly and efficiently, providing a consistent restock for rural medical institutions. By developing versatile mobile applications, patients will be able to access a hybrid 24/7 integrative care system regardless of geographical restrictions. Based on the self-report assessment, patients can receive teleconsultations from the corresponding specialist and retrieve the required medication via a drug delivery service.
However, it is critical that we perform a proper follow-up consultation to reduce medication non-adherence in patients, thereby aligning it with our objective to establish a working digital healthcare ecosystem.
Made to be cost-effective in the long run
Developing digital healthcare has the potential to help reduce costs in the long run. In this case, Hello+@UM can automate the process of filling up the EHR, granting physicians more time to spend on aiding their patients. Additionally, Hello+@UM automates the scheduling of clinic appointments, allowing administrators to make efficient staffing decisions that reduce the cost of staff turnover and overtime labour.
Digital heath platform is a game-changer in equalising healthcare accessibility even in the rural areas, and AI is the technology powering it. Soon, it will be possible to create a digital health platform that caters to every healthcare need using a single mobile application – Hello+@UM. And as the slogan goes, the patients can “Own Their Health”.
