Middle East Hospital magazine December 2011 issue

www.middleeasthospital.com

World Health Care Congress Middle EastWorld Health Care Congress Middle East

Tackling Childhood Obesity in the Middle East

Interview with Snore Centre Founder Michael Oko

Harley Street World

Social Media in Healthcare

Exclusive Interview with Dr. Hanan Al KuwariManaging Director of Hamad Medical Corporation

Hamad Medical CorporationHamad Medical Corporation

Arab Health

2012 Preview

Medica 2011 Review

Delivering High Quality Healthcare for Qatar

Editor: Guy Rowland

Publisher: Mike Tanousis

Associate Publisher: Chris Silk

MEH Publishing LimitedCompany Number 7059215151 Church RdShoeburynessEssex SS3 9EZUnited KingdomTel: +44 01702 296776Mobile: +44 0776 1202468Skype: mike.tanousis1

Editor: Guy RowlandTel: +44 01223 241307 Mobile : +44 07909 [email protected]

Features Editor: Emrys Baird Tel +44 [email protected]

MEH agent for Egypt

Dr.Amr SalahMillennium International [email protected]: +2 0222736354Mobile: +2 0122227209

UAE distributor

Dr Prem Jagyasi MD & CEOExHealth, P. O. Box. 505131Dubai HealthCare City, UAETel:+971 4 437 0170 [email protected] www.ExHealth.com

Abu Dhabi & Bahrain office

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MEH agent for Saudi Arabia

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For more information about themagazine contact the publisher oreditor. Or email MEH at:[email protected]

December 2011 | 3

December 2011 contents

4. HAMAD MEDICAL CORPORATION

Exclusive Interview with Hanan al Kuwari

The Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation speaks to MEH about the work of Hamad and the future development of healthcare in Qatar

12. Children’s National Medcial Center


An article by Dr. Evan P. Nadler, MD, Co-director of the Obesity Institute Director of the Bariatric Surgery Program atChildren’s National Medical Center

18. World Health Care Congress Middle East

10-13 December 2011, Abu Dhabi

Review of the region’s premier event for senior health care executives, with speaker profiles and features

22. Interview with Consultant ENT Surgeon Michael Oko

WHCC speaker and Snore Centre founder on how to reduceroad deaths in the Gulf through preventative action

28. How Collaboration will Wake the Sleeping Giant

Tam McDonald of Harley Street World writes on theimportance of international partnerships for healthcare

30. Arab Health 2012 Preview

23-26 January, Dubai

32. Social Media in Healthcare: Making the Case

By Praveen Pillai

38. MEDICA 2011 Review

16-19 November, Dusseldorf, Germany

An in-depth review of last month’s show featuring some of the innovative products being exhibited from across the world, and the UK and Brazilian pavilions

Editor’s intro

This issue focuses on the recent

World Health Care Congress

Middle East, held in Abu Dhabi

from 10-13 December.

MEH interviewed the Managing

Director of Hamad Medical

Corporation, Dr Hanan Al Kuwari,

ahead of her address to the

distinguished gathering of senior

healthcare executives. She

speaks about her vision for the

future of healthcare in Qatar, and

the new Academic Health

System.

We also have an articles from

other speakers at the event, Dr

Evan Nadler of the Children’s

National Medical Center (on

tackling childhood obesity) and

Tam McDonald of Harley Street

World (on international healthcare

partnerships). Snore Centre

founder, Michael Oko, speaks to

us about the benefits of

preventative action against sleep

apnoea in the Middle East.

We also review last month’s

Medica show in Germany and

look ahead to what is in store at

Arab Health 2012.

Exclusive interview with Hanan Al Kuwari

Middle East Hospital

December 2011 | 4

Hamad Medical Corporation


December 2011 | 5

Dr. Al Kuwari was appointed

Managing Director of Hamad

Medical Corporation (HMC) in

July 2007. She is responsible

for the overall operations and

strategic directions of all HMC

Hospitals, the main public

health care provider in Qatar.

About Dr. Al Kuwari

She began her career at HMC in

1996, and assumed greater levels

of responsibility in various

administrative capacities. In April

2003, Dr Al Kuwari was appointed

Executive Director of the

Women’s Hospital, and in April

2005, Assistant Managing

Director for Operations.

Dr. Al Kuwari has held numerous

board and executive

appointments including Member

of the Board of Governors of the

Doha Institute for Family Studies,

Chair of the Qatar BioBank

Project Steering Committee,

Member of HMC’s Board of

Directors, and Member of the JCI

Middle East Advisory Council.

Prior to joining HMC, Dr. Al Kuwari

worked as researcher at the

World Health Organization in

Geneva (Department of

Adolescent Health). She also

gained experience as an Editor at

Reuters in Geneva and as a

freelance health reporter for the

Gulf Times.

Dr. Al Kuwari holds a PhD in

Health Care Management from

the Center of Public Policy and

Evaluation, Department of

Government, at Brunel University

in the UK. She also holds a

Masters and Bachelors in Health

Care Management from Webster

University and Croix Rouge de

Lausanne in Switzerland.

Exclusive interview

Middle East Hospital spoke to Dr.

Al Kuwari on the eve of her

address to the World Health Care

Congress Middle East, where she

shared HMC’s vision for pursuing

academic and clinical excellence

to some of the world’s leading

experts in healthcare at the

international gathering of

healthcare experts in Abu Dhabi.

MEH: How do you plan to develop

healthcare provision in Qatar?

Dr. Al Kuwari: High quality

healthcare for the whole

population is a central element of

the Government’s long term

strategy, set out in the Qatar

National Vision 2030. Excellent

health, along with education, is

crucial to our aims to release the

full human potential of Qatar.

Qatar’s National Health Strategy

aims to shift the model of care so

that much more day to day care is

delivered in primary and

community settings. At the same

time, the rapid population growth

that we are experiencing means

that we still need significant

expansion in the acute and

tertiary sector to look after the

sickest patients who need the

specialist skills and equipment

that are concentrated in our

hospitals.

Our challenge is to transition from

a health system that treats acutely

ill patients, to becoming one that

predicts and prevents ill health,

particularly ill health due to

chronic and lifestyle diseases,

and delivers high quality acute

and tertiary care for those patients

that need it.

MEH: What is the status of public

healthcare provision in Qatar?

Dr. Al Kuwari: More than 90

percent of acute, tertiary and


December 2011 | 6

continuing care in the country is

delivered by Hamad Medical

Corporation, the integrated

healthcare system that is owned

by the government.

HMC manages five acute and

specialist hospitals in Doha with

more than 1,600 beds combined:

Hamad General Hospital,

Rumailah Hospital, Women’s

Hospital, the National Cancer

Centre (Al Amal) and the Heart

Hospital. In addition, it manages

three hospitals in the community

outside Doha, the national

ambulance service and home

healthcare services.

Due to the rapid population

growth and associated demand

for healthcare, HMC is also

undertaking one of the most

ambitious facility expansion

programmes in international

healthcare.

All of HMC’s current hospitals, its

ambulance service and its home

healthcare service have been

accredited by the Joint

Commission International. It is the

only public healthcare provider

outside the US that can make that

claim.

Building on this kite-mark of

quality clinical care, we aim to go

further in our pursuit of excellence

in clinical practice, education and

research. HMC and its partners in

the education sector have set

themselves the ambition to

become an Academic Health

System within five years.

MEH: How will the recently

established Academic Health

System benefit healthcare in

Qatar?

Dr. Al Kuwari: Academic Health

Systems are partnerships

between leading learning and

research institutions and

healthcare providers. They are

recognized internationally as a



model for pioneering research

and medical discoveries and for

making them available to patients,

known as ‘translational research’;

taking research from the

laboratory bench to the bedside.

They are synonymous around the

world with academic excellence,

the delivery of the highest quality

patient care and overall health

improvement. We are proud to

say that the Qatar AHS will be the

first of its kind in the region and

we aim to be a flourishing

Academic Health System within

five years. Our Academic Health

System is being developed in

partnership across a number of

key health, education and

research organizations in Qatar

and in collaboration with a

number of international centers of

excellence.

We are working with Weill Cornell

Medical College – Qatar, Qatar

University, the University of

Calgary Qatar, College of the

North Atlantic Qatar, Primary

Health Care and the Sidra

Medical and Research Center.

We aim to attract the best talent

internationally.

Together we have the potential to

be much greater than the sum of

our parts

MEH: How is HMC using

innovation and technology to

improve its services?

Dr. Al Kuwari: As an aspiring

Academic Health System, we are

always seeking to harness and

even create cutting edge

innovation and technology to

improve patient care. We are

rolling out world class clinical

information and management

systems across our hospitals in

our drive towards optimal clinical

decision making, continuous

improvement of patient care and

efficiency. For example, we have

implemented a multi-site

Radiology Information System


December 2011 | 8

(RIS) and Picture Archiving and

Communications System (PACS)

from GE Healthcare across seven

hospitals. They enable clinicians

to move from using traditional X-

ray film to accessing their patients’

image records on screen at the

touch of a button from a range of

locations. The first of its kind in

Qatar, this technology combines

flexibility and interoperability

between different imaging devices

and a stable infrastructure that will

help maximize efficiency and

improve clinical decision making

and therefore the quality of

service to patients everywhere

within HMC.

We have also created a Centre for

Healthcare Improvement (CHI) as

an internal change agency to

spread innovation and best

practice across our organization.

The innovators in CHI work with

departments and hospitals to re-

engineer processes, make

efficiencies and improve patient

flows. For instance, through CHI’s

redesign of outpatient

appointments, we have

dramatically reduced the time that

people wait in our hospitals and

enhanced the whole patient

experience.



December 2011 | 9

MEH: What is being done by

HMC to reduce and treat chronic

and lifestyle diseases in Qatar?

Dr. Al Kuwari: Under the

leadership of the Supreme

Council of Health, HMC and its

partners are committed to

continuous development of

services to meet the community’s

evolving needs. Chronic and

lifestyle diseases are placing an

increasing burden on the

population. Diabetes, in particular,

is a significant health challenge

for Qatar, with an estimated 17

percent of the adult population

affected.

Obviously, prevention is high on

the agenda for overall national

health policy, with a number of

awareness programs and efforts

to reduce risk factors.

At HMC, we are working with our

partners to establish a metabolic

research institute for Qatar to

explore the causes and cures of

this key group of lifestyle

diseases. HMC is also working

towards an integrated approach to

treatment of diabetes, with a new

unit that will bring together and

offer a comprehensive set of

services for our diabetic patients

in one location.



December 2011 | 10


About Hamad Medical Corporation

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is a governmental organization

providing more than 90 percent of acute services in the country

and continuing care services

• An employer of choice, HMC’s more than 17,000 strong

workforce is diverse and multicultural

• HMC was established by Emiri decree in 1979 and

manages five acute and specialist hospitals in Qatar with

more than 1600 beds: Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah

Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Al Amal (Cancer) Hospital and

Al Khor Hospital

• All five hospitals have been accredited by the Joint

Commission International along with HMC’s National

Ambulance Service

• A further three hospitals - The Heart Hospital and Al Wakra

hospital (in the country’s south) and Dukhan (to the west)

are due to come online in 2012

• HMC prides itself in providing quality and cost efficient

health care for all patients regardless of nationality, in line

with the State of Qatar’s pledge of “Health for All”. For this

purpose, the Corporation implements a policy of

continuous improvement of all management systems and

patient care protocols. HMC’s ethos is based on three key

pillars which are Health, Education and Research

• HMC has a leading role in creating the Middle East region’s

first Academic Health System

For more information about HMC please visit: www.hmc.org.qa

HMC Shares Vision of Creating

an Academic Health System

with World Healthcare Leaders

Speaking at the Second World

Health Care Congress Middle

East on 12th December Dr. Al

Kuwari told delegates that

Qatar’s national health strategy is

to shift much more care into

primary and community settings

closer to where people live and

enabling hospitals to focus on the

kind of work that only they can do.

Dr. Al Kuwari outlined to delegates

HMC’s leading role in developing

the region’s first Academic Health

System with Qatari and

international partners, “All of us

have made a commitment to

further developing high quality

patient care and a healthy

population through academic

excellence and a special focus on

education and pioneering

research.

Dr Al Kuwari said. “Our united aim

is to be a flourishing Academic

Health System within five years.

We are working together to build

world class education and

research opportunities and a

system that included

internationally competitive

education, translational research

and specific areas for

specialization.”

Qatar has drawn on health care

expertise from around the globe

to help it develop a truly unique

Academic Health System.

Members of the International

Advisory Board for the initiative

were also highlighted speakers at

the Abu Dhabi event including

Victor Dzau, MD, President and

Chief Executive Officer, Duke

University Medical Center and

Health System and Rt Honorable

the Lord Ara Darzi, Paul Hamlyn

Chair of Surgery; Head, Division

of Surgery; Honorary Consultant

Surgeon, Imperial College

Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal

Marsden Hospital.

The World Health Care Congress

Middle East is a three day event

held annually bringing together

the region’s leading health care

leaders and decision makers.

December 2011 | 11


December 2011 | 12

Obesity has been identified as

one of the most important

public health concerns in both

children and adults. With

globalization of the world’s

economy, the obesity epidemic

knows no geographic

boundaries. The World Health

Organization (WHO) reports

that over 42 million under the

age of 5 are obese, of which 35

million live in developing

countries. These pre-school

children carry their excess

weight into adolescence and

adulthood.

The consequences of morbid

obesity are well described. An

increased risk of cardiovascular

disease (especially hypertension),

dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus,

gallbladder disease, increased

prevalence and mortality of

selected types of cancer, and

socioeconomic and psychosocial

dysfunction have all been studied.

Recent data suggest that the

prevalence of children with

obesity in the UAE is at least 14%.

The problem may be more severe

in Qatar which was ranked as the

sixth most obese country in a

report by the International

Association for the Study of

Obesity. Childhood obesity

represents an enormous health

and economic burden for all

nations and if not dealt with

aggressively, it may develop into

a major international health crisis

in the near future. According to a

2010 study conducted by the

Health Authority of Abu Dhabi

(HAAD), almost 1 in 3 children in

the UAE have abnormal BMI, and

a high proportion of these will go

on to have weight problems as

adults without further intervention.

If one or more of that child’s

parents are overweight or obese,

then that likelihood increases to

nearly 80%.

With the percentages of students

who are ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’

standing at 38.4 and 14.4 per cent

respectively (according to a 2010

UAE Global School-based

Student Health Survey of students

in grades 8, 9, and 10), it has

become increasingly apparent

that we need to address the

obesity issue in our kids.



December 2011 | 13

In the United States (US), more

than 25 percent of high school

aged children are overweight and

this poses a substantial economic

impact, according to the U.S.

Department of Health and Human

Services. It is estimated that

obesity in the U.S. accounts for

between 5.5 and 7 percent of

national health care costs. One

study estimates that over 125

million dollars of hospital costs

alone were related to childhood

obesity during 1997-1999, a

three-fold increase from the prior

decade. As these children grow

into adults, they will continue to

develop medical problems

associated with obesity, thus

requiring further expenditure.

Children’s National Obesity

Institute: A Sample Program

Children’s National Medical

Center seeks to tackle the issue

of childhood obesity through 5

inter-related strategies: Prevention

and behavior modification; clinical

treatment; research; advocacy; and

education.

The mission of the Children’s

National Obesity Institute is to

advance clinical care that

achieves healthy growth by

developing, validating, and

disseminating best practices in

prevention and intervention for

overweight children throughout

the age continuum. Additionally,

the Institute fosters novel

research in genomics,

proteomics, and epigenetics in

partnership with the Sheikh Zayed

Institute for Pediatric Surgical

Innovation at Children’s National,

in an effort to provide novel

approaches that will optimize

clinical care for individuals to

achieve better health.

As part of the efforts to combat

obesity in children around

Washington, DC, and create a

model of care, the Obesity

Institute has two weight-loss

programs for children and

adolescents: The IDEAL Clinic,

that provides comprehensive

medical management for children

with obesity, and the Weight-Loss

Surgery Program, that offers two

different surgical procedures for

children.

The medical management

program, called Improving Diet,

Energy and Activity for Life

(IDEAL), develops personalized,

multidisciplinary plans for obese

patients and their families.

Patients have access to a range

of pediatric specialists to meet the

needs of each patient, including:

pediatricians with expertise in the

management of children with

obesity, cardiologists, child

psychologists, sleep medicine

experts, endocrinologists, health

educators, exercise therapists,

Children’s National Medical Center

Figure 1



December 2011 | 14

and dietitians. The clinic follows

patients every two weeks for the

first three months, then monthly

for one year. There is no specific

program that fits all patients but

there are common themes proven

to help children and adolescents

successfully achieve a healthy

weight.

If lifestyle changes are not

sufficient, sometimes surgery

becomes the only therapy

available. The Obesity Institute

offers a Weight Loss Surgery

program to help teenagers and

older children who have failed

medically supervised weight loss

attempts. This program offers two

different surgical options to those

children who are unable to lose

weight and are already stricken

with obesity-related illnesses.

These laparoscopic (minimally

invasive) procedures have shown

promising results and have short

hospitalizations, low complication

rates and lower overall costs

compared to older surgical

approaches. These procedures

can result in approximately 45

kilograms of weight loss for the

average patient.

Patients who wish to undergo

weight loss surgery must meet

specific conditions, including: be

at least 14 years old at the time of

enrollment in the program, have a

BMI of at least 35 with an obesity-

related condition, or a BMI greater

than 40 without an obesity-related

condition, have a history of

obesity for at least 3 years that

includes documented failed

attempts at diet and medical



December 2011 | 15

management of obesity,

Complete follow-up visits during

the 5 years after surgery, and

have confirmation from a

psychologist or psychiatrist that

he or she is sufficiently mature to

comply with the clinical protocol.

There are two surgical procedures

currently used in adolescents at

Children’s National:

1. Laparoscopic Adjustable

Gastric Banding (Figure 1)

This is the safest of the bariatric

surgery procedures. It consists of

wrapping a synthetic inflatable

band around the stomach to

create a small pouch which can

be adjusted. The stomach is not

cut or stapled. Laparoscopic

adjustable gastric banding is the

most commonly performed

bariatric procedure in Europe and

its use in the US is increasing

steadily.

2. Laparoscopic Sleeve

Gastrectomy (Figure2)

This procedure consists of

removal of part of the stomach to

create a narrow tube that limits

the amount of food one may eat.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

is now recognized as a stand-

alone procedures for adults and is

gaining acceptance in the

adolescent population as there is

no rerouting of the intestines and

is not as likely associated with

long-term nutritional issues as the

gastric bypass.

Bariatric surgery is a research-

proven effective and long-term

approach for both significant loss

of excess body weight and the

Children’s National Medical Center

prevention and treatment plan--

the need to engage the entire

family in the healthful lifestyle

changes.

Dr. Evan P. Nadler, MD, Co-

director of the Obesity Institute

Director of the Bariatric Surgery

Program at Children’s National

Medical Center and; Principal

Investigator of the Systems

Biology Initiative in the Sheikh

Zayed Institute for Pediatric

Surgical Innovation.


Canada, and many other

countries to collaborate with local

doctors in the treatment of

children and exchange best

practices and new ideas on

shared global health priorities,

including obesity and diabetes.

No matter the form of the

intervention, it is clear that many

countries around the world are

seeking new and innovative ways

to tackle this challenge. At

Children’s National, our team has

learned that there is one primary

key to a successful obesity

resolution of the obesity-related

co-morbidities. In addition, the

Obesity Institute collaborates with

the Sheikh Zayed Institute to learn

more about the effects of bariatric

surgery on the body. In fact, it may

be that genetic, environmental,

and other determinants can

impact how well an individual

responds to surgery. This

research will help doctors

recommend effective

interventions for the individual

patient—a type of personalized

medicine. In the long term, these

data will form the basis for

understanding of the molecular

obese state and help predict how

novel interventions would affect

different patient groups.

Tackling Childhood Obesity in

the Middle East

The Children’s National model is

one approach to address obesity.

In the United Arab Emirates, the

Health Authority Abu Dhabi is

piloting public health initiatives

also aimed at tackling this

epidemic. One example is an

effort in Abu Dhabi schools to

teach children how to be healthier

through improved diet and

exercise, starting at a very young

age. The ‘Eat Right, Get Active’

initiative includes a children’s

health microsite with information

from school clinic guidelines to

health and diet advice, in addition

to information on HAAD’s health

campaigns.

In the past year alone, faculty

members have traveled to the

United Arab Emirates, Saudi

Arabia, Kuwait, India, Germany,

Figure 2

December 2011 | 16



Launched in 2010, the World

Health Care Congress Middle

East, is the premier conference

to feature global health care

innovation. It attracts more

than 600 senior health care

thought leaders from all

industry sectors, including

hospitals, health systems,

employers, government

agencies, pharma, biotech and

industry suppliers.

WHCC Middle East is organized

with sovereign partners the Health

Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD) and

the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority

(ADTA). Additional sponsorship is

currently provided by The Abu

Dhabi Health Services Company

(SEHA) and Children’s National

Medical Center.

More than 600 health care

executives representing 25

countries shared their

perspectives on best practices for

health care delivery; with the

Conference held at the new Abu

Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

from 11-13 December 2011.

Organized Under the Patronage

of H.H. General Sheikh

Mohammed Bin Zayed Al

Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu

Dhabi and Deputy Supreme

Commander of the United Arab

Emirates’ Armed Forces and in

collaboration with sovereign

partners the Health Authority-Abu

Dhabi (HAAD) and the Abu Dhabi

Tourism Authority (ADTA), the

World Health Care Congress

Middle East is the most

prestigious health care event,

World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011World Health Care Congress Middle East 2011

December 2011 | 18

convening global thought leaders

and key decision makers from all

sectors of health care to promote

health care through global best

practices. Sunday Morning

Leadership Forums convened

ministers of health, department of

health officials, health authority

and health policy experts to

examine and form strategies and

policies to lessen the impact of

the economic crisis and provide

opportunities for reform to

improve health services, health

outcomes and reduce health

spending.

www.worldcongress.com/me

Keynote speaker Zaid Al SiksekChief Executive Officer,

Health Authority – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Speaker profile: Professor Ara DarziSpeaker profile: Professor Ara Darzi


December 2011 | 19

What Innovation Means to

Health Care

* Obstacles to innovations in the

developed world

* The impact of regulations on

innovations

* Find out about the World

Economic Forum and its

partners global project to foster

game-changing, innovative

delivery solutions

* Learn about the four clusters

of innovation and key success

factors for each cluster

* Discover what integrated

innovation means for health and

biomedical research

Prof Abdallah Daar, Professor,

Public Health Sciences;

Professor, Surgery, University

of Toronto, Canada

Rt Hon Prof the Lord Ara

Darzi of Denham KBE; Paul

Hamlyn Chair of Surgery,

Imperial College Hospital NHS

Trust, United Kingdom

Victor Dzau, MD; President

and Chief Executive Officer,

Duke University Medical Center

and Health System, United

States

Oliver Harrison, MD; Director,

Public Health & Policy, Health

Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD),

United Arab Emirates

Prof Tan Ser Kiat; Group Chief

Executive Officer, Singapore

Health Services Pte. Ltd.

Singapore

Already a highly respected

surgeon in his field, Lord Darzi

became an instantly recognisable

figure throughout the entire

healthcare community, and

beyond, when he was selected to

help determine the future of the

NHS. Brought into Gordon

Brown’s government as a health

minister in the capacity of a non-

political expert, Lord Darzi was

tasked with conducting a year-

long review on the future of the

NHS, which was published in

June 2008.

Currently Professor Darzi holds

the Chair of Surgery Imperial

College London where he is head

of the Division of Surgery,

Oncology, Reproductive Biology

and Anaesthetics. He is an

Honorary Consultant Surgeon at

St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust. He

holds the Paul Hamlyn Chair of

Surgery at the Royal Marsden

Hospital. He held the office of the

Tutor in Minimal Access Surgery

at the Royal College of Surgeons

in England where he set the

national guidelines in education

and training in Minimal Access

Surgery. He was also a Council

member of the Association of

Coloproctologist of Great Britain

and Ireland, The Association of

Endoscopic Surgeons of Great

Britain and Ireland, and the

Society of Minimal Invasive

Therapy.

Professor Darzi's main clinical

and academic interest is in

minimal invasive therapy,

including imaging and biological

research together with

investigating methods to measure

core competencies of surgery

objectively. He has published

widely in the field of minimally

invasive therapy.



December 2011 | 20

Keynote Panel: Global

Ministers of Health

Discussion - the Global

Economic Crisis and its

Effect on Health Care

* Encourage the case forsustaining investments in health

* Build awareness of how theeconomic crisis affects healthspending, health services andhealth outcomes

* Identify actions that can helpto mitigate the negative impactof economic downturns andlead to opportunities for reform

* Facing the economicdownturn through clearintegrated human resourcesand health care facility planning

* Highlight the importance ofworking to promote preventionand a primary health careapproach

The Honorable Chin Soo Hee,Former Minister of Health andWelfare Ministry of Health andWelfare, South Korea

H.E. Prof. Mohamed Jawad

Khalifeh, Former Minister ofPublic Health, Ministry of PublicHealth; President, Arab HealthMinisters Council, Lebanon

Anne Milton MP, Minister ofState for Public Health,Department of Health, UnitedKingdom

Moderator: Riz Khan, Master ofCeremonies, 2nd WHCC ME;TV Host, Riz Khan Show, AlJazeera International, UnitedStates

Keynote Panel: Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) Health

Authority Dialogue—Health Care Strategies for the Future and

Evidence-Informed Health Policies

* Why the development of and what are the changes since of the

establishment of health authorities in the UAE

* Implementation plans for streamlining guidelines in policies and

standards within the Health Authorities and Ministries of Health in

Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC)

* Views and practices of policy makers about evidence informed

policies - the essentials and lessons for developing knowledge

translation platforms in MENA countries by discussing progress,

examining results and overall challenges

Lalia Al Jassmi, Chief Executive Officer-Health Policy & StrategySector, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), United Arab Emirates

Zaid Al Siksek, Chief Executive Officer, Health Authority – AbuDhabi, United Arab Emirates

Dr Fadi El Jardali, MPH, PhD; Associate Professor, Health Policy,American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Dr Sameh El Saharty, MD, MPH; Sr. Health Policy Specialist, SouthAsia Region, The World Bank, United States

Moderator: Riz Khan


December 2011 | 22

Speaker interview: Michael Oko, ENT Consultant SurgeonSpeaker interview: Michael Oko, ENT Consultant Surgeon

Ahead of his address to the

WHCC in Abu Dhabi MEH spoke

to Snore Centre founder and

campaigner for compulsory sleep

apnoea testing, ENT Consultant

surgeon Michael Oko.

MEH: What will you be focusing

on in your presentation to the

conference?

Michael Oko [MO}: I will be

speaking about the benefits of

preventative treatment in

delivering cost savings, using the

example of sleep apnoea testing

and treatment in Lincolnshire UK.

It is suspected that about 20% of

car accidents are sleep related

and research has shown that

sleepiness can impair driving

more than drink! Indeed patients

with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

(OSA) have a 7-12 fold chance of

a road traffic accident (RTA)

compared to those who do not

and treating the condition can

reduce the accident rate by 83%.

The cost of each fatal accident is

around £1.64 million, so every

accident prevented is of

significant benefit to society and

to the NHS.

Occupational road related deaths

and accidents in Lincolnshire

used to average about 79 per

year. By December 2010, the

number of fatal road traffic

accidents had fallen from 79 to

45. This represents a saving of

over £55 million to the economy,

including the NHS. A significant

contributory factor is that since

2006 the Snoring Disorders

Centre has treated over 1,200

patients with sleep apnoea and

these people are now able to

drive more safely, rather than

being in fear of falling asleep at

the wheel.

How did you come to set up the

Snoring Disorders Centre?

I founded the Snoring Disorders

Centre (or Snore Centre) in 2006.

Previously there was no

obstructive sleep apnoea service

across Lincolnshire, leaving a

population of roughly 700,000

people with little provision for

sleeping disorders.

Local clinicians had been trying to

develop these services for over a

decade in a population group that

is the most obese in Europe. The

Medical Director of United


Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust

asked me to solve this problem

with a private sector model which

would provide a sustainable

solution. There were significant

challenges to overcome as the

Trust did not have a list of

identified cases, no clinic space,

no equipment for diagnostics or

treatment, and no commissioning

agreements from the local

healthcare organisations. There

was also a substantial hurdle to

overcome in terms of educational

awareness about the condition

amongst the local population and

General Practitioners.

Working with the Local Trust in a

50:50 partnership arrangement all

these obstacles were rapidly

overcome. I took responsibility for

the purchase and provision of all

diagnostic and treatment

equipment and give half of the

tariff income back to the NHS.

What are your plans for

increasing access to treatment in

the UK?

In the UK only 20% of patients

have been diagnosed and only

half of these have been treated

and the British Thoracic Society

(BTS) estimates that if you treated

59,400 you could reduce RTA’s by

7000 and over 400 lives would be

saved and £400 million in RTA

costs over 5 years.

The Snoring Disorders Centre

operates two clinics. The Centre

is based at Pilgrim Hospital,

Boston, with a satellite clinic at

Johnson hospital, Spalding. This

enables easy access to the

service for residents across

Lincolnshire and neighbouring

Cambridgeshire. In January 2012

I am opening a new private clinic

at 150 Harley Street in London, to

increase treatment capacity in the

South East. I also plan to open

further satellite clinics throughout

the UK.

MEH: How can this model be

applied in the Middle East?

MO: Levels of obesity,

hypertension and heart disease

are rocketing in the wealthy

Middle East, mainly due to the

life-style. People are working long

hours, eating rich calorie-laden

food, driving everywhere and not

The Snore Centre at Johnson Hospital

December 2011 | 23


December 2011 | 24

Speaker interview: Michael Oko ,ENT Consultant SurgeonSpeaker interview: Michael Oko ,ENT Consultant Surgeon

exercising enough. I believe that

the success I have had in

Lincolnshire can be replicated in

the Middle East by raising

awareness of the condition, and

forming long-term partnerships

with local hospitals, doctors, and

government departments.

With the low level of awareness of

sleep apnoea in the Middle East

it’s no surprise that road accident

rates out in Dubai and the UAE

are dreadful. In fact road traffic

accidents are the second major

cause of deaths in the UAE.

There are 3500 fatalities per year

from RTAs in Saudi Arabia alone,

and OSA could well be a factor in

many of them.

I would like to form partnerships

with Ministries of Health and

hospitals in the Middle East region

to help them set up sleep apnoea

clinics that would serve the local

population, and introduce a

testing regime that would help to

reduce fatalities on the roads.

MEH: What does the service offer

to sleep apnoea sufferers?

MO: The service provides

accurate and prompt diagnosis of

the causes of sleep apnoea and

snoring and identifies the most

appropriate treatment for both

NHS and private patients. The

aim is to deliver high quality

clinical care in a friendly

environment. A patient’s first

appointment will be with our

specialist Nurse, for a pre-

assessment. Once this has been

completed, patients will be seen

by one of our specialist doctors for

a consultation.

We provide rapid access clinics

where we can review patients

who have problems with their

Continuous Positive Airway

Pressure (CPAP) machines or

masks. This is very important as

we understand that continuity of

treatment is crucial for people

suffering from sleep apnoea and

problem snoring. We use

advanced computing technology

to remotely monitor our patients

on therapy to reduce the number

of hospital visits required.

In 2008 the Snoring Disorders

Centre won the NHS East

Midlands Healthcare Award for

service transformation. In 2010

the Snoring Disorders Centre had

treated over 1500 patients of

which 1200 are on CPAP and the

road fatalities continue to be

stabilised at 52 per annum in

Lincolnshire.

MEH: What have you done to

raise awareness of sleep apnoea

in the Middle East?

MO: The Snoring Disorders

Centre took a stand at the Arab

Health exhibition in Dubai this

year to raise awareness of the

negative impact that OSA is

having in the UAE and wider

Middle East, and I met with

healthcare professionals

interested in treating this issue in

the Arab region. I also attended

Saudi Medicare in Riyadh in April

2011 to spread the message

further around the region.

In 2010 and 2011 I was awarded

the Middle East Hospital

magazine award for excellence in

respiratory care, and for making

an outstanding contribution to

healthcare in the Middle East

through awareness raising

activities.

www.snorecentre.com

Speaker article: Tam McDonald ofSpeaker article: Tam McDonald of Harley Street WorldHarley Street World


December 2011 | 28

How collaboration will awaken

the sleeping giant

Harley Street is poised to take

healthcare up a gear

Some 200 years ago, in a small

patch of central London, we

began to see the emergence of

what is now understood as the

world’s first healthcare brand. The

name “Harley Street” began to

stand for something – many good

things and some not so good.

Over time, the numbers of

hospitals, clinics and medical

specialists consolidated around

an ideal of medical excellence

that attracted people from all over

the world.

And these numbers have become

impressive. This little collection of

streets known collectively as

“Harley Street” now boast over

2,000 doctors, some 200 clinics

and a handful of private hospitals

and large teaching hospitals,

three of them with international

reputations for medical research.

Indeed, there are more top 100

medical schools within a taxi drive

of Harley Street than there are

currently in China and India together.

If all this sheer medical

wonderfulness were consolidated

around a shared and properly

funded vision – something along

the lines, for example, of the

American Mayo Clinic – the name

of Harley Street might travel even

further, and to more powerful

effect. Its potential is even

stronger in a world in which,

increasingly, we talk about a

“knowledge economy”.

And nowhere is this knowledge

more valued than in the Middle

East where, on the one hand, the

western scourge of chronic

disease is far from an unknown

phenomenon but, on the other

hand, what constitutes best

practice in modern medicine has

long been respected as much

here as anywhere. In fact, it can

be argued that the name, the

brand of Harley Street is better

known and more respected here

than anywhere else outside the

borders of the United Kingdom.

So what may be changing that

could bring this more international

vision to reality?

As we step with some trepidation

but no little optimism into the 21st

century, we are seeing a sea-

change in society, altering many

things that have been as they

have been for years and now, for

various reasons, cannot survive.

How health is funded. How

doctors talk to patients. How

patients relate to the challenges of

their health. And critically, we are

seeing how the combination of

Social Media and communication

technologies – Internet,

broadband, wireless – is

facilitating the extension of clinical

reach way beyond the consulting

room and surgery paradigms that

have held sway for decades.

The worlds of healthcare and

communications technology

evolve now at astonishing

speeds, and they are converging.

Words like innovation, challenge,

and personalisation dominate the

landscape. They mean slightly

different things in the different

sectors: personalised medicine is

not quite the same as

personalised identities in

cyberspace, but the principle is

similar.

Qualified knowledge continues to

reside “in here”, but articulating

the message or service is



December 2011 | 29

increasingly defined by the

relationship between in here and

out there. And increasingly, the

power is “out there”.

Seven years ago, Facebook was

incorporated. At the time, there

were no iPhones, no Apps, no

Internet Television, and only the

first glimmerings of the software

algorhythms that enable us to

determine that if you did this or

bought that online, you might be

expected to do this or buy that

other thing.

The sheer volume of data that is

being generated by all this activity

will give us computational and

predictive capabilities that will

transform how effective medicine

is delivered. The definition of

“point of care” will itself evolve.

Wireless healthcare is one of

many phenomena that will extend

the doctor’s clinical reach.

Another is collaborative

marketing: doctors working

together to re-define how

healthcare is brought to an

expanding market.

The principle of collaborative

working is shown be effective in

the increasing fashion for multi-

disciplinary clinical teams working

for the benefit of the single

patient. Now we just have to

translate that mindset, that

commitment to work for the

benefit of the many.

In less than a year, London will be

hosting a sporting event that will

have the attention of the world

upon it. Billions of people around

the globe will be tuning in via

multiple communication channels,

drawn by human instincts at least

as old as the ancient Greeks,

inspired by a brand that, in its

modern livery, is not even as old

as Harley Street.

What might the Olympics mean

for Harley Street, not only as a

brand but as a force for good in

the evolving world of healthcare

that we are reflecting upon here?

Will it seize this moment to show

the watching world what it can do

to shape the future of healthcare

in meeting the needs of the 21st

century; in short, to extend the

clinical reach of the world’s best

doctors and clinics?

In a world rocked by economic

uncertainty and the increasing

awareness of governments

everywhere that there is only so

much they can do in the face of

the evolving demographics of

their populations, the lead shown

by strong and established

healthcare names like Harley

Street in the UK, like the Mayo

and Cleveland Clinics in the

United States, can be vital. What

they do with their research, their

facilities and, critically, their

people will have an impact far

beyond the boundaries of their

buildings, and will be relevant to

patients everywhere, scalable

thanks to the enabling potential in

new communication technologies.

Tam McDonald is CEO of Harley

Street World, and spoke at the

World Health Care Congress in

Abu Dhabi on 13 December.

Harley Street World is taking

the world’s first – and Europe’s

leading – health brand online. It

is a consumer health portal

employing digital technology –

primarily high-definition video –

to build communities from key

patient and consumer groups. It

is launching with two pilot

channels:

The first channel is entitled

BrainHub and promotes mental

health. Beginning with a video

library of frequently asked

questions about dementia, the

channel will expand to cover

stress, anxiety and depression.

The second channel is focused

upon “wellness” and is entitled

fitLEGACY. It draws on top

talent from the worlds of UK

medicine and sport and builds

on the interest being generated

by the 2012 London Olympics.


December 2011 | 30

Arab Health 2012 Preview

The Arab Health Exhibition &

Congress is the largest event of

its kind in the Middle East. Now in

its 37th year, Arab Health provides

an unrivalled platform for the

world’s leading manufacturers,

wholesalers and distributors to

meet the medical and scientific

community from the Middle East

and beyond.

Patient experience

As healthcare continues to

become increasingly competitive,

it is also experiencing greater

consumerism. Globally, patients

have increased their attention to

how they're treated. In the United

Arab Emirates, this is particularly

heightened as a growing

population - 8.26 million in mid-

2010, a growth of 64.5% in four

years[1] - has given rise to a

rapidly expanding and demanding

market for healthcare. By

incorporating patient experience

as a key strategic element,

healthcare organisations in the

region will be better positioned to

meet these quickly growing

patient expectations.

Putting patients first or the 'Patient

Experience' - is the theme at the

upcoming Leaders in Healthcare

Congress taking place at Arab

Health 2012 on 26th January in

Dubai. Launched 4 years ago,

Leaders in Healthcare has

addresses specific topics under a

certain theme each year with the

aim of remaining one step ahead

of the ever-evolving healthcare

sector in the MENA region.

This year's Chairman of Leaders

in Healthcare Conference, Dr

James Merlino, the Cleveland

Clinic's Chief Experience Officer,

will be introducing the idea to the

UAE that the patients take

responsibility for their own future

health under the theme 'Patient

Experience'.


December 2011 | 31

Dubai 23-26 January

According to Dr Merlino, "The

Patient Experience is a key

component of Cleveland Clinic's

strategic plan to achieve a

coordinated delivery model that

integrates patient-centered care

with clinical outcomes, quality,

safety, and employee experience.

"Patients First" is the guiding

principle of Cleveland Clinic and

the organisation recognises that a

formula of empathic customer

service plus high quality,

innovative medical care will lead

to a better patient experience."

The 2012 Leaders in Healthcare

conference will share the

importance of the Patient

Experience via addressing its

impact at a national level. It will

then address the commercial

viability of the Patient Experience

by monetising the emotional value

it creates and measuring its

success.

What to expect in 2012

• Over 3,000 exhibitors from 60 countries

• More than 65,000 healthcare professionals from across the world

• Business networking events to meet with the healthcare,

business, medical and scientific community from across the world

• 30 country pavilions, including new country pavilions from Japan,

Hong Kong, Argentina and Singapore

• Leaders in Healthcare Conference - the most prominent gathering

of healthcare industry leaders and influencers

• World's largest healthcare congress with 17 CME-accredited

conferences and over 500 internationally acclaimed speakers

"Empowering the patient

translates to the successful

implementation of an efficient and

productive healthcare system,"

says Simon Page, Managing

Director - Life Sciences, Informa

Exhibitions - the organisers of

Arab Health. "In other words, if the

patient feels like they belong and

if the hospital facility partners with

him and his needs, the patient is

more likely to comply thus

creating and efficient and

productive healthcare system.

Hospitals in the UAE, as in the

rest of the MENA region, have

now realised the importance of

their core cliental, the Patient.

Consequently, healthcare now

revolves around the patient and

not vice versa."


“Take Two Aspirin And Tweet

Me In The Morning”.This is how

Dr Jay Parkinson and many

other techno savvy physicians

use social media for interacting

with their patients.

Dr. Jay Parkinson, the Brooklyn-

based primary care physician who

has been referred as the “The

Doctor of the Future” and one of

the “Top Ten Most Creative

People in Healthcare” formed

“Hello Health” – the paperless,

concierge practicethat deploys

web-based secure social media

network and electronic medical

record enabling doctors to

communicate, document, and

transact with their patients in

person and online via email, IM,

and video chat, twitter, facebook

etc. Welcome to the world of

SOCIAL HEALTHCARE.

Social networking on the internet

are empowering, engaging, and

educating health care consumers

and providers. While consumers

use social networks like personal

blogging, wikis, video-sharing,

and other formats — for emotional

support, they also heavily rely on

them to manage health

conditions.

Social networks represent a brave

new world for healthcare. It offers

a platform to individuals to

communicate quickly, easily,

broadly and inexpensively.

Healthcare and social media -

Growing Use in Healthcare

Can you really shop for by-pass

surgery the way you shop for a

tie? Will the successful pharma

practice of direct to consumer

marketing work in other forms of

healthcare? How can healthcare

delivery practitioners prepare for

consumer-driven selection?

Marketers, advertisers, and PR

professionals across the

spectrum of healthcare will be

impacted by these questions as

social media threat and

opportunities come to healthcare.

Social media have revolutionized

the healthcare industry and is

quickly becoming the preferred

resource for individuals seeking

healthcare information.

Patients turn to social networking

groups to find others who are

battling the same diseases (for

patients preparing for the same

type of surgery, following the

tweets helps demystify the

process and ideally reduces

anxiety about upcoming

operations.), share advice,

recommend doctors, even

sending other members a virtual

hug, while clinicians connect to

share information and learn from

each other.

Hospitals all over the world are

using social mediaas a marketing

and communications tool to

educate, publicize, entertain and

otherwise trying to establish

themselves as the go-to place for

customers in need. With a Face

book fan page, patients are

regularly updated on the day to

day developments, while a

YouTube account are used to

upload educational videos,

similarly Twitter account is used to

link to the latest press releases or

the use of educational blogs

about specific ailments.

It’s even further used for scheduling

appointments, appointment

reminders, practice updates, or public

health notifications.

Social Media in Healthcare: Making the Case

December 2011 | 32

Some organizations use social

media to promote wellness and

sponsor online support forums

where individuals who are dealing

with chronic health issues or

catastrophic conditions can find

support from others who are

having similar experiences. Many

organizations use social media to

encourage philanthropy.

By publicizing their services,

promoting patient advocacy,

displaying credentials, and

describing the tangible and

intangible community benefits

they provide, organizations can

encourage benefactors to invest

in their mission. Some healthcare

organizations are beginning to

recognize the potential impact of

leveraging social media channels

to complement recruitment and

training efforts. They advertise

their available positions and also

search social media sites to

determine the integrity and

trustworthiness of potential hires.

Healthcare Marketing – The

Social Way

As with all businesses, medical

practices face stiff competition

and budgetary constraints and

must differentiate themselves by

portraying value and quality to

their prospective clients. With the

increasing cost of healthcare and

a growing number of available

hospitals as options, more than

ever, it’s essential for hospitals

and health providers to rethink

their healthcare marketing mix to

include social media.

Given the statistics on healthcare

consumers growing reliance on

the internet, it should come as no

surprise that physicians are

beginning to adopt social media.

Beyond communicating with

patients and potential patients, a

number of physicians are using

online resources and social

networks to collaborate with

colleagues, to research potential

diagnoses for patients and to

enhance their medical

knowledge.Social media has

emerged as a powerful and

effective tool for hospitals and

healthcare organizations to stay

on top of patients’ mind and

December 2011 | 33




maintain contact and relationships

with other medical professionals,

patients, and the general public.

The network effectof social media

can cause “word of mouth”

epidemics unlike anything that

caregivers have ever seen before.

Social media are just the way

word of mouth happens in the

21st century.It’snothing more than

word-of-mouth extended into the

electronic world. Hospitals and

Healthcare units are realizing that

word-of-mouth is the most

significant driver to influence

patients and so social media

offers an opportunity to humanize

what can be a scary, complex

situation.

One of the most famous health-

care facilities globally, the

118-year-old Mayo Clinic, is using

social media tactics right from its

inception. When Dr. Will Mayo

and Dr. Charles Mayo built Mayo

Clinic through collaboration with

the Sisters of St. Francis, it was

relatively unusual for patients to

survive a hospital stay. Quite often

they succumbed not to the

underlying ailment but to an

infection resulting from surgery.

The Mayo brothers and the

Franciscan sisters pioneered

aseptic surgical techniques which

meant that many more patients

lived to tell their stories. And when

they went home, they spread the

word about their experience.

According to Lee Aase, Mayo

Clinic's Manager of syndication

and social media – “Word of

mouth has been a crucial part of

building Mayo's brand for more

than a hundred year. People

come to Mayo, have a good

experience, go home and tell

others about it. We see social

media as the 21st Century version

of word of mouth. We're talking to

the whole world, potentially."

It is also important for the

healthcare industry to have a

sizable online presence to ensure

that consumers aren’t misled by

faulty information, like for Mayo

clinic’s it all started initially &

partlyto keep others from

“squatting” on the name and

posing as Mayo Clinic.

Although a majority of marketers

have embraced online social

media and user-generated

content efforts, the rise in social

December 2011 | 34


networking and health-care

blogging has sparked a nascent

movement to set standards and

guidelines that include conflicts-

of-interest disclosure and privacy

protection for "open media" in

health care.

The challenge with social media is

to take advantage of the

opportunity without crossing any

important professional and legal

boundaries. American Medical

Association created a policy about

professionalism in the use of

social media. Its guidelines

include: maintaining standards of

confidentiality; using privacy

settings to safeguard personal

information; and maintaining

appropriate boundaries of the

patient-physician relationship. In

addition, the guidelines suggest

that physicians bring any

perceived unprofessional content

on behalf of their colleagues to

their attention and, if the

colleagues do not take action, to

bring the matter to the appropriate

authorities. Lastly, the guidelines

advise physicians that their

actions online may negatively

affect their reputations and

medical career.

Conclusion

For marketers in any industry—

from manufacturing to real estate

to banking, and everything in

between—making the business

case for social mediais very

imperative. Corporations globally,

from Starbucks to Dell, are using

social media to reach customers,

although hospitals have always

been conservative in marketing to

patients. But there is a growing

number of healthcare

organizations leveraging social

media as more than a marketing

and communications tool. They

embrace social media as an

"innovation catalyst" and deploy

more collaborative models that

foster broader engagement and

knowledge sharing among

patients, providers and trusted

institutions.

While the industry has taken a

giant leap forward into the brave

new social media world, but the

reality is we've only scratched the

surface of what is yet to come.

An inherent problem with the

“buzz” from social media is that

there is no way to rank their

importance, and so they tend to

be handled first‐in‐first‐out, if at all.


December 2011 | 36


But the biggest mistake hospitals

make is confusing social media

with one-way communication

tools. Some hospitals have

hundreds or thousands of people

signed up to follow them on

Twitter but only follow back a

handful. Or they use Facebook to

push out press releases and other

information about their

organization and to drive traffic

back to their own Web site without

showing any interest in what

others are talking about.

Any advertising that encourages

increased resource use and

increases the costs of care is

inherently in conflict with ethical

medical care but social media

offers an effective way of

promoting your business and

supporting any existing marketing

activities at no extra cost.

But Social Media should always

be a complementary part of

marketing mix. In order for a

hospital to be effective at

Facebook or Twitter, someone

needs to be there at all times to

respond. But also there’s no one-

size-fits-all answer for social

media. Not every social media

approach is appropriate for every

hospital or health care

organization. One need to find the

right mix that works, more

importantly, figuring out how to

communicate therapeutically

during social media interactions.

Just because a hospital is on

Facebook doesn't mean that they

are building a meaningful

Facebook experience for both the

hospital and the patient. Whether

you are looking to increase patient

traffic to your office, enhance your

reputation in the community, or

just want to supplement your

other marketing efforts, in order to

realize the maximum benefit from

social media marketing, it is

important to strike a balance

between excitement for the

potential it holds as a marketing

and information gathering

resources versus the potential

risks the medium represents

given the public nature of the

much of the information that is

being shared in these online

communities.

People may say bad things about

the facility—true or not—that can

damage its reputation. At the

same time, people may say very

good things that can promote the

facility. Learning to highlight the

positives and manage the

negatives is imperative for any

organization embarking on social

media. It's even more challenging

is tomeasure the ROI from Social

Media initiatives. While real

relationships are a valuable way

to measure your social media

ROI, measuring the success of a

new marketing campaign should

include the number of eyeballs,

shakes and finger swipes, the

number of blogs, articles, tweets

and digs, the number of

conversions, calls, responsesand

recommendations.

Social media has become an

undeniable force, and its rapid,

informal communication style

represents both possibility and

liability for healthcare

About the author

Praveen Pillai is a Health care

management professional with

over 11 years of progressive

experience in both national &

international market. He is a

candidate for a doctorate

program in Business

Management. He is a graduate

in Business Economics (MBE)

from School of Economics,

DAVV, INDIA & holds a Masters

diploma in Hospital &

Healthcare management from

Symbiosis INDIA.

organizations. Good policies and

training help organizations pursue

the benefits and mitigate the risks.

Social media, if designed well,

managed correctly, and supported

by the system, could optimize

both patient and provider

experiences. But patients and

providers need to live together in

this space (and be supported by

the system) to ensure social

media is a cure and not a

CURSE.

December 2011 | 37


December 2011 | 38

MEDICA 2011 Review

Medica 2011, running from 16-

19 November in Dusseldorf,

was once again the place to be

to find the most exciting and

innovative medical technology

out there.

Summing up results of the world’s

biggest medical trade fair after

four days Joachim Schäfer,

Managing Director at Messe

Düsseldorf, said: “The

manufacturers of medical device

technology, medical products and

medical IT have once again used

the framework of Medica in

Düsseldorf to impressively

evidence their operational

excellence. Professional

organisations reported an

excellent mood prevailing

amongst exhibitors and of good

business as a result of the high

attendance of international and

decision-making trade visitors.”

At Medica and the concurrently

held Compamed 2011 for

upstream supplies (627

exhibitors) 4,571 exhibitors

presented the entire cross-section

of new products, services and

processes for increasing

efficiency and quality for in and

out-patient care to 134,500

visitors (2010: 137,087) in halls

well attended across the board.

Visitors came from over 100

nations. All in all, every one in two

visitors travelled to Medica 2011

from abroad, including the most

prominent guests, EU Health

Commissioner John Dalli (Malta),

the British Minister of State for


December 2011 | 39

Düsseldorf 16-19 November

Trade and Investment, Lord

Green, and US Assistant Secretary of

Commerce Suresh Kumar.

On his tour of the trade fair Dalli

was impressed by the plethora of

innovations and the pivotal role

that MEDICA plays as a central

hub for an innovation-driven

growth industry. Suresh Kumar

declared Medica a “generator of

jobs” stressing the difference

between this and trade fairs in

other sectors of industry: “In the

aviation or automotive field the

EU Commissioner John Dalli


December 2011 | 40

MEDICA 2011 Review

leading trade shows are

dominated by major corporations

alone. By contrast Medica is a

business platform for thousands

of small and medium-sized

companies. The deals concluded

here create new jobs

immediately.”

Imaging technology

On the Acteon stand MEH was

shown the very latest in imaging

technology. The WhiteFox system

is a Cone Beam Computed

Tomography System with big field

of view making the diagnostic the

most complete and precise in the

fields such as Cephalometry,

Orthodontics and Gnathology,

TMJ Analysis, Inplantology

planning, Oral and Maxillofacial

surgery so does Endodontics. The

Housefield units calibration,

commonly used on medical CT

scanners, is a unique WhiteFox

feature for the dental CBCT. Not

only does it allow the possibility to

obtain an image with a higher

quality but also provides a precise

and relevant measure of the

tissues density.n Therefore, using

the WhiteFox does not only save

time for the operator, it is also a

work tool essential for daily use

while still providing a more reliable

diagnosis, clearer vision, the

assurance of a more precise

surgery protocol as well as

ensuring better safety for patients.

NO and CO2 monitors

Show regulars Bedfont Scientific

showcased the NOxBOX®O2 ,

the next generation in Nitric Oxide

(NO) monitoring. It is a standalone

December 2011 | 42

side stream system which allows

accurate, real-time monitoring of

NO, NO2 and oxygen (O2).

Compact and easy to operate, the

unit can be set up and used by

non-technical staff. The best-

selling product that Bedfont has is

the Smokerlyzer Range of

exhaled breath Carbon Monoxide

monitors which are predominately

used in smoking cessation clinics

and help to motivate smokers to

give up. Other applications

include carbon monoxide

monitors for use by the

emergency services for detecting

carbon monoxide poisoning

(toxCO). [www.bedfont.com]

TENS pain relief

At the TensCare stand visitors

could see the new itouch Plus

TENS unit. This device offers

relief from a wide range of pain

such as knee pain, shoulder pain,

back pain and from a wide range

of causes. Itouch Plus is a simple

to use and effective dual channel

TENS machine with comfortable

output, gentle control, and extra

choice of settings.

NICE guidelines for osteo arthritis

and rheumatoid arthritis

recommend TENS as part of a

pain management plan. NHS

Direct includes TENS as a

treatment option for Back Pain,

Frozen shoulder, Period Pain

Osteoporosis, and Spondylitis.

TensCare has evolved since its

conception in 1994 to become

Europe’s largest distributor of

TENS machines.

[www.tenscare.co.uk]

ABHI UK Pavilion

The Association of British

Healthcare Industries (ABHI)

once again organised the UK

Pavilion at Medica in partnership

with UK Trade and Investment.

The Pavilion housed around 100

of the UK’s most innovative med-

tech companies. Medica is a great

opportunity to showcase the high

quality medical devices that UK

companies produce to a global

audience, and to enable small

companies with innovative

MEDICA 2011 Review


December 2011 | 43

products to reach out to overseas

markets.

British Trade Minister Lord Green

toured the UK Pavilion and visited

several UK company stands

including Eschman and

Colebrook Bosson Saunders. He

stated, "Against a difficult

economic backdrop we know that

growth in the UK economy is only

going to come from improving our

export story, especially to the

emerging economies around the

world. UK Trade & Investment has

a crucial role to play in realising

this ambition and will continue to

support British companies coming

to events like Medica where they

can meet international buyers and

become the global success

stories of the future.”

Speaking about ABHI’s role in

supporting innovative UK

companies ABHI Chief Executive

Peter Ellingworth said, “ABHI

supports UK companies in

achieving export growth, and

organising the UK Pavilion at

major shows such as MEDICA

and Arab Health is great means of

enabling small but innovative

enterprises in reaching new

overseas markets. Thousands of

buyers and distributors come to

MEDICA each year looking for the

latest devices and technologies,

and our aim is to give our

exhibitors a platform to show what

the UK industry can offer.

“We have stepped up our efforts

to promote the UK Pavilion this

year with this new website and a

proactive presence on social



Lord Green visits Colebrook Bosson Saunders

December 2011 | 44

MEDICA 2011 Review


media networks such as Twitter

and Facebook. The vast scale of

Medica and the sheer quantity of

products on offer from companies

from all over the world means that

you have to work hard to stand

out and be noticed.”

Medical training aids

Adam,Rouilly has attended

Medica for the last 25 years and

is now a regular exhibitor on the

ABHI UK Pavilion finding it an

excellent platform for meeting

distributors from around the world,

including those from the Middle

East with whom we have

established good relationships,

since first attending Arab Health in

2004.

Speaking to Middle East Hospital

on the subject of export sales to

the Middle East Tariq Shahab said

“Adam,Rouilly has a very reliable

distributor network in the Middle

East which is a very important

part of our export market. There

is an increased demand for skills

training and our broad product

base enables us to help hospitals

who are implementing or

expanding these Clinical Skills

Training facilities. There is an

additional requirement for

anatomical models in the medical

schools at the Universities and we

offer what we believe to be the

highest quality range on the

market.”

Following extensive market

research, the AR251

Venepuncture and Infusion Arm

has been improved utilising

improved manufacturing

December 2011 | 45



techniques and materials to offer

an even more like life training

scenario. Cast from life the

moulding of the Infusion Arm

Trainer incorporates new features

with an improved vein system and

silicone skin resulting in an

extremely realistic finish which

shows a well developed male left

arm in fine details.”

Enuresis alarms

For 30 years Malem Medical have

been manufacturing the world’s

best and largest range of

Enuresis Alarms and Vibrating

Watches for the treatment and

permanent cure of Nocturnal as

well as Diurnal Enuresis. With the

latest Universal Wireless alarm

you can use up to seven

transmitters, each one of them

can be attached to a different

sensor (such as Enuresis body

worn Sensor; Bed-Mat Enuresis

Sensor; Pressure-Mat; and

Pressure Release Mat) to help

detect patient movement and

prevent dangerous falling or

unauthorised wondering.

One small battery operated

receiver that can be carried by the

carer will communicate with up to

seven Transmitters. This

Universal wireless product is ideal

for nursing/care homes, or for use

at home. [www.malem.co.uk]

Diagnostic devices

Exhibiting for the first time at

Medica were Max Medical. Their

product range includes the

highest quality diagnostic devices,

first aid equipment and medical

disposables. To meet their clients

increasing demand Max Medical

are continuously developing and

expanding their product ranges.

On display for the first time at

Medica will be the MiniproSelf

Monitoring Blood Glucose

System. This is a small, unique,

friendly design, and offers one of

the most minimal blood test

samples on the market.

[www.maxmedical.co.uk]

Hospital infotainment

Also exhibiting in the UK Pavilion

for the first time at Medica were

Colebrook Bosson Saunders,

leading designers and

manufacturers of ergonomic

support products. Colebrook

Bosson Saunders will launch

three new products at the

exhibition, including their patient

infotainment arm: CBS-Hi1.

CBSHi1 has been developed

exclusively for the healthcare

market to meet the computing and

multimedia needs of hospital

patients and staff. CBS-Hi1

enables a screen (increasingly

used for patients’ healthcare,

entertainment, communication

and information needs) to be

safely mounted to a wall and easily

adjusted.

[colebrookbossonsaunders.com]

Medical suction

Attracting a high level of interest

from visitors was MGE’s new High

Flow High Vacuum Portable

Suction unit. A new benchmark in

portable EMS suction units

incorporating a lightweight pump,

high visibility digital displays, anti-

bacterial coating and a variety of

other new features.

MEDICA 2011 Review


December 2011 | 46

For over 50 years, the SAM range

of medical suction equipment has

been a universally accepted

standard within the medical

equipment industry in many

regions of the world. Their

portable range consists of four

lightweight suction units that are

battery and mains powered

making them ideal for use both in

and outside the hospital

environment. These units are also

widely used in ambulances,

general wards, critical care units,

clinics, out-patients and in the

community.

[www.mgelectric.co.uk]

Surgical instruments

In the surgical instrument

category Swann Morton’s

Cygnetic scalpel stood out from

the crowd at Medica this year.

This tool provides the surgeon

with additional strength and

stability through a patented

combination. The blade is

manufactured from a thicker

specification of stainless steel

which is gripped firmly on both

sides once secured within the

special handle.

The Cygnetic handle’s lever

operated system allows for safe

and easy blade attachment and

removal. When the blade needs

changing or the procedure is

completed, the theatre nurse can

simply drop the blade into a

sharps container or counter box,

with no handling of contaminated

sharps. Once the procedure has

ended the handle can be

disassembled by the

decontamination and



December 2011 | 47


December 2011 | 48

MEDICA 2011 Review

reprocessing centre ready for

cleaning.

[www.swann-morton.com]

High quality Sheffield steel was

also on display at the Bolton

Surgical stand. Bolton Surgical

are manufacturers and suppliers

of the finest quality Surgical

Instruments and accessories for

use within the modern theatre

environment. Bolton bring

together traditional manufacturing

methods with the technology you

would expect from a market

leader in Surgical Instrument

supply, enabling them to provide

a totally flexible service tailored to

meet the differing and demanding

needs of modern theatre and

decontamination departments.

[www.boltons.co.uk]

Hospital equipment

On the Sidhil stand the main

attraction was their new low

hospital bed. Designed around

key principles including ease of

use, world class infection control

and performance, Independence

Innov8 beds are reliable and easy

to maintain, incorporating superb

ergonomics in terms of both

manual handling and user

comfort. Solid platform panels

with ridges for breathability

simplify decontamination and

improve infection control, with the

bed adjusting to an extremely low

level for added safety and

convenience in use. Electrically

operated functions include auto

contouring, giving simultaneous

adjustment of backrest and

kneebreak.

[www.sidhil.com]

Clean room specialists DDC

Dolphin showcased their

Pulpmatic+ Macerator at Medcia,

offering complete hands-free

operation by means of a foot plate

at the base of the machine and an

optical sensor to close and start

the machine. The Pulpmatic+ is

the only machine with complete

hands-free operation making it not

only more convenient, but also

more hygienic to use than other

macerators and reduces the

potential for cross contamination.

[www.ddcdolphin.co.uk]

Brazilian health equipment

exports grow and conquer

competitive markets

Brazil's health equipment industry

is seeking to boost sales with its

new industry brand Brazilian

Health Devices, aiming to reach

US$ 1 billion in exports by 2015.

The Brazilian health equipment

industry registered 8% growth for

the first half of the year in terms of

exports compared to the same

period in 2010. The fact that the

country's currency has hit record

highs against the dollar over the

same period, when the global

economy is undergoing

difficulties, only makes this

achievement all the more

noteworthy.

A recent entry into the industry's

international market, Brazil

launched its health equipment

export strategy at its first time

participating in MEDICA, ten

years ago. Since then, new

buyers have been won over all

over the world, and its

international presence has grown.

According to the WHO (World

Health Organisation), it is

currently the second placed

exporter among developing

countries and boasts the highest

revenues in sales of medical

equipment.

Over the span of a decade,

Brazil's health equipment

industry's revenues have grown

by 244%. The goal is now to

maintain this momentum and

reach an annual total of US$ 1

billion in exports by 2015. The

industry's sales for the first half of

2011 have resulted in US$ 338.65

million.

Paulo Henrique Fraccaro (left),

the ABIMO (Brazilian Medical

Devices Manufacturers

Association) Vice President, said:

"Brazil's industry is not only

aiming to increase export

volumes. We want to win over

competitive markets with high

quality standards, such as the US

and countries in Europe. The US

and Germany are already among

our top ten buyers."

Companies installed in Brazil are

already able to provide 90% of a

hospital's equipment needs. The

only missing pieces that are not

made in Brazil are large scale

imaging units.

Strict criteria

Fraccaro notes that the way the

domestic market is structured has

led the country's industry to

develop products focused on the

cost-benefit ratio. As the Brazilian

government is the largest buyer in

the market, there is a need to

meet the demanding standards

set by ANVISA [the National

Health Surveillance Agency],

Brazilian Pavilion

Hi Technologies'Milli Pulse Oximeter


December 2011 | 49

which subjects companies to

continuous assessment. In

addition, these companies have to

make their products available at

accessible prices due to the public

authorities' tight budgets.

Fraccaro said: "The Brazilian

government always makes its

purchases through public tenders

where the final price is the

deciding factor. This is the reality

that our companies have had to

adapt to."

He also points out that the

flexibility of the country's industry

is another important factor in

helping exports grow. "Unlike

other countries, here in Brazil, our

production can be adapted and

changed to suit clients' needs. If

there is something that has to be

changed in a product, we'll do it",

Fraccaro affirmed.

New brand

ABIMO, in partnership with Apex-

Brasil (the Brazilian Trade and

Investment Promotion Agency),

launched the new industry brand

Brazilian Health Devices at this

year's edition of MEDICA as part

of the growth strategy for the

country's international presence in

the health equipment sector. Hélio

Lôbo, a project manager at Apex-

Brasil, said: "The new brand is

part of a strategy to increase

exports and expand the number

of markets purchasing Brazilian

products, which currently stands

at 180".

ABIMO, Apex-Brasil and

associate companies have also

worked together to draw up a list

of eight countries that comprise

target markets for consolidation.

The countries in the list are:

Angola, Saudi Arabia, Chile, the

US, India, Mexico, Peru and

Russia.

Investing in technological

innovation

Another factor driving the industry's

impressive performance is the solid

investment made by Brazilian

companies in technological

innovation. The main innovation

initiatives are acknowledged

every year through the ABIMO

Inova Saúde [Innovate Health]

award. There are currently an

estimated 980 R&D projects

being undertaken by Brazilian

companies in the medical and

hospital industry.

www.brazilianhealthdevices.com

MEDICA 2011 Review

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December 2011 | 50

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