Dubai: Cigna Insurance Middle East, a leading health services company, has emphasized the growing role of technology, digital tools and virtual healthcare solutions in developing healthcare systems around the world, improving outcomes and patient experience, providing access to millions of people, and helping them integrate healthy habits into their lives. daily.
Cigna indicated in its recently published study “Healthcare to Digital”, which highlights the uses of virtual channels within the health sector and includes insights derived from the Cigna 360 Well-Being study, that working to develop the digital healthcare sector will contribute to opening new horizons to provide integrated care that is available to wider segments and of high value, in addition to providing a vital space in clinics for patients in need of clinical health care.
The study said that the advancement of the virtual healthcare sector will contribute to providing patients with the opportunity to obtain better medical services, by taking advantage of the options of communicating with service providers in person or through virtual channels, supported by remote monitoring techniques using sensors or other technological tools.
This will help reduce waiting times, reduce costs and, most importantly, avoid unnecessary exposure to clinical environments and the associated transmission risks, he added.
On the other hand, the study confirmed that the number of wearable devices connected to the Internet around the world is expected to exceed one billion by the end of 2022, with health and fitness tracking devices representing a large segment of those devices, driven by the accelerating adoption of smartwatches and digital health applications.
The report also highlighted that methods of treating atrial fibrillation have benefited greatly from innovations in virtual care.2 Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia disorder that causes stroke, and the number of atrial fibrillation cases is estimated at 37.5 million worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. The arrival of smart medical device applications to detect arrhythmias and remote ECG systems has changed the way these conditions are reported and responded to.
The potential for virtual healthcare is quite bright in terms of improving the lives of people with chronic diseases or lifelong conditions, with the help of cardiac monitors and musculoskeletal sensors.
and patient data platforms. This technology is enabling many to live longer and healthier lives with less invasive medical treatment plans.
Commenting on the capabilities of virtual health services, Jerome Droche, CEO of Cigna in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, said: “The virtual health care sector has witnessed a great development during the last period, as the spread of the global pandemic and the measures taken to prevent it contributed to accelerating the pace of this. The development, which was reflected in the transformation of health sector systems and thus recorded significant improvement rates in the results of patient examinations.
With our own initiative, we are proud to be among the pioneers of this digital transformation, as we realized the advantages that virtual care can provide to the health sector system, which includes communication options on 24/7/365, getting medical advice faster, lowering costs, and providing patient comfort.”
About 61% of participants in the Cigna 360 Safety Study 2021 indicated that they would consider virtual care or prefer it to in-person care for a variety of reasons.
Accordingly, health services companies around the world, from integrated care plans to care managers, are empowering people with an improved patient journey and increased choice.
The virtual health study incorporates insights from the Cigna 360 Well-Being survey completed last year.
This study is part of a series of reports and research papers presented by Cigna that focus on health and quality of life management, methods of coping with stress, physical and mental health conditions in the workplace, and the impact of the epidemic on mental and physical health, which in turn depends on the results presented in Cigna 360 Well-Being and Other Studies.
About Cigna Middle East and Africa
Cigna International is a global health services company that aims to help people improve their health and enhance their sense of safety. With a rich history of more than 200 years of experience, Cigna is committed to its promise to be the premier provider of healthcare-related services, clinical management, fitness and wellness promotion programs to employers, individuals, and governments around the world.
Cigna has been operating for more than 17 years in the Middle East and North Africa region, serving the GCC and Lebanon markets through its local partners. The company provides health, fitness and wellness services to individuals, employers and governments in the region.
On the African continent, Cigna has served more than 250,000 members for nearly 60 years. Cigna serves businesses through a partnership with Hollard whereby Cigna provides health insurance to local companies seeking health insurance for their employees and global companies looking to provide homogenous health insurance throughout Africa.
Cigna has a strong global sales portfolio in 30 countries and jurisdictions, employs more than 74,000 employees, and serves more than 165 million customers worldwide, positively impacting the lives of one billion people.
