How Digital Technologies Can Improve Saudi Healthcare

There is no substitute for the skills and compassion of medical professionals, but there is a role for more technical capabilities.

-  Ali Ustun

New and emerging digital technologies can improve patient outcomes in various ways. Saudi Arabia is well positioned to benefit. More than 90% of Saudis are connected to the internet, and they are accustomed to accessing public services through their phones.

By investing in digital health, the kingdom could unlock as much as $27 billion in efficiencies and better outcomes by 2030. Four solutions-virtual consultations, self-care clinical decision support, and workflow automation constitute a significant share of the $27 billion at stake. And the good news is that none of this has to be invented from scratch: there are real-life examples. This will not happen automatically; it will take a coordinated effort from healthcare providers, payers, digital-health startups, e-commerce companies, retail conglomerates, pharma companies, investors, and even telecommunications companies, all of whom can play distinct and important roles.