How software can help clinics overcome their challenges

By: Ola Azzouqa

Nowadays, clinics’ patients will not only look at the doctor’s expertise to judge the doctor, they will also look at the staff, general office esthetic, and technology used. From the moment patients take the appointment, they start forming a general idea about a practice. All of the clinic procedures, whether done manually or automatically, can have a significant impact on the patients' thoughts and perceptions. And since we only have one chance to make a first impression, the whole practice must convey quality. This is why it is necessary to have up-to-date technology that automates all of the procedures done at a practice.

According to Doctor Mohammad Manna, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, having a digitalized system in his centre improved the way he runs his business. “Having a system that handles appointments, patients’ files, and billings saves time and effort which allows us to focus more on patient care and wellness and eventually increase their satisfaction.”

How the vaccination rollouts will affect the tech industry

By: Cesilia Faustina

Vaccinations are on the way and many countries have resorted to their own vaccine plans. With this vaccination process though, comes a new cross-innovation method, the tech-vaccine process. Many countries and government bodies have turned to technology to help organize the vaccination processes. What was once a gruelling manual process filled with long lines and risks have turned to the help of technology for a more risk-free and socially distanced process. By collaborating with tech companies, governments are able to tackle any logistical issues that may take place.

How the digital economy is fueling the wellness industry

By: Cesilia Faustina

The health and wellness sector are multi-billion dollar industries. The concept of health and wanting to have a healthy life has always existed since ancient times, however, it really gained momentum in the 1950s-1970s thanks to the influence of a network of well-known physicians and thinkers in the US. The wellness industry today has a much more different concept. What was once a top-down approach to health, where health information would be distributed from dominant thinkers and prestigious institutions, has turned into a participatory approach. The public can now easily receive information about health through various sources and distributors, something made especially apparent with the rise of the digital economy.

3 core pillars of effective information handling in the radiology sector

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

The radiology sector, much like all other areas of healthcare, has seen quite a great deal of development throughout the years. Since the advent of state-of-the-art technologies like CT Scanning and MRI, and their continuous development, the amount of medical data produced every year is enormous. Likewise, the ever-expanding applications of state-of-the-art telecommunication technology have brought more opportunities for faster exchange of medical information between medical staff among themselves, and between them and their patients as well.

In this article, we shall discuss 3 core pillars of effective information handling in the context of radiology. These pillars are:

Digital apps are helping to mitigate insurance risks

By: Cesilia Faustina

The popularity of e-commerce is a growing phenomenon, it is one that has been fuelled with the rise of COVID-19. Many businesses are forced to move into the digital sphere in order to maintain their income. This trend has now led to the dependency of insurance companies towards digital platforms. (Re)insurers are looking at the rise of digital wallets and e-commerce platforms to help them mitigate their losses and close protection gaps.

Usage of digital platforms is especially becoming a big deal with emerging markets, such as countries like India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. According to a survey by Swiss Re Institute, 70 percent of respondents expressed interest in using online channels to purchase insurance. The survey had also showed that 68 percent of the 1,800 respondents in these three countries were using digital platforms at least once a week. COVID-19 has pushed government policies to support an online environment in order to create a safer process for consumers.

Is COVID fuelling startups or stopping it?

By: Cesilia Faustina

Thanks to COVID-19 many businesses are at a standstill and struggling to make ends meet. It has created multiple challenges for the economy, which is affecting startups all over the world. Over the years, financial analysts and journalists have continuously covered stories of the development of startups. It was seen as a great contributor to the economy for the coming years. In a way, it still is, but startups are also one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.

According to a survey by Startup Genome, 74 percent of startups had seen their revenues decline since the beginning of the pandemic. Even one of the most popular startups sectors, fintech, has seen decreasing profits due to the pandemic. Funding for fintech has fallen 45 percent compared to Q4 of 2019, according to a report by CB Insights. Startups will need and have taken tighter steps to reduce losses, with big startups like UBER having cut its workforce by 14 percent and other companies taking part in massive layoffs as well. Some have even been forced to shut down and start new businesses.

Beyond COVID: What role can InsureTech play in the travel insurance landscape?

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

It is no exaggeration that 2020 was a big, unexpected super blow to the global travel industry as a whole. According to the latest data from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, “international tourist arrivals fell by 72% in January-October 2020.” This plunge had manifested in restrictions on travel and low consumer confidence. Furthermore, it ignited a global struggle to contain the COVID-19 virus. These factors alone easily made it the worst year for tourism ever recorded.

But amidst all these harsh events, there is always a gleam of hope. With vaccines going into action already, we can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. And this is a big chance for us to learn a lesson or two for the future.

Top insurance risks to watch for in 2021

By: Cesilia Faustina

The insurance sector has experienced its fair share of hardships since the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to S&P, reinsurers stated about $12 billion in COVID-19 loses in the first six months of 2020. HSBC had also reported that COVID-19 claims had increased three times during the second quarter of 2020, from $6 billion to $20 billion, many of which came from the property and casualty sector. That said, such losses are to be expected for the insurance sector during a pandemic and (re)insurers are generally prepared for loss events. Overall, the insurance sector has fought resiliently despite the challenges of the pandemic, of course, financial losses will need time to work themselves out and insurance specific efforts will be needed to support this recovery. With many of the financial markets recovering though, we can only expect greater rehabilitation plans for this sector in 2021.

What does it take to make an ideal mobile app?

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz

Mobile Apps are becoming the main channel of communication among almost everyone. People use them nowadays to carry out a lot of their daily activities. In fact, they even played a vital role in making our lives much easier during tough times such as quarantines, from aiding us in our remote work and education, to ordering groceries in times where merely stepping outside could get us in trouble. All this proves that a well-designed mobile app can bring a lot of joy and convenience to many people.

But what does it take to build an ideal mobile app? To answer this question, we should recognize some of the main aspects of successful mobile app creation and how to best accomplish them.

How mobile apps can revitalize the patient experience

By: Omar Abdul-Hafiz 

In a previous article, we discussed the merits of web portals in the healthcare sector in some detail. We concluded that web portals may offer a great way to streamline the routine of time-consuming paperwork in a digitalized and automated manner. This will save much valuable time that can instead be dedicated to actually delivering the healthcare service patients are seeking.

But whereas web portals do their magic through web browsers, there’s another powerful element that does its magic through the smartphone. That’s right! We’re talking about the mobile app.