RIYADH – Saudi Arabia's demand for advanced healthcare services is expected to continue growing substantially over the next few years and turn the Kingdom into one of the region's most prolific medical technology adopters. Among the factors driving demand are a growing and ageing population, an increase in ‘lifestyle diseases' such as diabetes, and aggressive government spending on social and healthcare investments which are expected to account for around 19 percent of the projected SR274 billion federal budget for the period 2010-2014. Medical technologies have the potential to make the lives of Saudi residents healthier, more productive and as independent as possible. Technological breakthroughs such minimally-invasive surgical techniques to treat aneurysms have enabled previously bed-ridden patients to lead normal lives. IT solutions have also helped streamline hospital operations to maximize patient services. The use of advanced technology to provide medical care requires knowledgeable users, however. There is a growing need to provide healthcare staff with quality training for them to properly operate various types of technologies. In order to bridge the gap between technology and user competencies, CompuGroup Medical (CGM), the leading IT Healthcare solutions provider in the Middle East and Turkey, has been developing training programs to enhance the technological capabilities of Saudi healthcare staff. In its latest training venture, CGM conducted a special training session on the use of its advanced Health Information System (HIS). “The KSA is the biggest IT market in the Gulf, so the local healthcare sector is well-positioned to harness the potential of technology to optimize medical services in the Kingdom. The best technologies, however, can only be effective if their full potential is harnessed. This is why, aside from delivering cutting-edge-technologies, CGM also focuses on solid training so that healthcare staff know the full capabilities of the machines and equipment they handle and consequently deliver the best technology-enabled services possible to patients,” said Thomas Reitmayr, Vice President - Business Development, CompuGroup Medical CEE. “CGM fully recognizes the importance of proper and regular training and performance monitoring to maximize the benefits of its solutions and make meaningful contributions to the growth and development of the Saudi healthcare sector in the process. This is why we give equal weight to the quality of our products and the knowledge and capabilities of operating personnel so that we can deliver the best results to healthcare partners,” added Mehmet Bilginsoy, General Manager, CompuGroup Medical Middle East. CompuGroup's HIS supports the critical day-to-day activities of Health and Patient Care organizations by combining Computer Medicine, Information Processing, Resource Planning, Data Communication, and Clinical Systems technologies. It is designed to reduce costs associated with diagnoses and treatments, enhance access to medical information, and provide connectivity among various healthcare entities. During the HIS training, CGM explained the system's platform specifications and workflow and database schema and properties. Staff easily gained a firm grasp on how to use the solution's design tools such as the Enterprise Manager and the Form and Reporting Tools. The session will enable staff to efficiently manage and operate the system in line with the hospital's technical and business requirements. — SG
