Country for PR: United Kingdom
Contributor: PR Newswire Europe
Tuesday, May 07 2019 - 16:00
AsiaNet
Saudi Ministry of Health Makes Access to Health Services Easier With New Online Appointment App "MAWID"
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 7, 2019 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

Worldwide, e-Health is playing a significant role in driving healthcare 
evolution. According to the World Health Organization, healthcare costs 
globally are increasing by nearly 5% annually and health systems see e-Health 
as contributing significantly to closing the gap between a decreasing financial 
envelope and growing demand. 

However, it is not just financial impact that is driving the digital 
revolution. Health systems are also keen to tap into changing patient behavior 
by capturing patient-generated data thus having a positive impact on 
streamlining health systems.

In line with other health systems, digital technology is also playing a 
significant part in transforming the health system in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi 
Ministry of Health (MOH) is committed to e-Health; its transformation program 
positions digital technology as the key enabler in delivering its vision of a 
fully integrated healthcare system.

The MOH is taking a measured approach to have a marked impact on patients and 
providers alike, by investing in innovative and advanced technologies in 
e-Health. 

MAWID, meaning appointment, is one of the several digital initiatives the MOH 
has launched. Designed to give service users power to manage their health 
journey and take greater ownership of their health, it centralizes and 
automates referrals across the health system by linking them electronically and 
streamlining their operations. 

With MAWID, the MOH has successfully removed data sharing barriers so providers 
can easily share appointment calendars between themselves and with users, who 
now have the ability to book and manage their medical appointments 
instantaneously whenever and wherever they are; a new way of accessing service. 

MAWID's inbuilt functionality enables it to capture key patient information 
such as satisfaction scoring in real-time, which benefits MOH significantly 
providing access to invaluable qualified and quality health data to help in 
future service design for continuous improvement.

MAWID is already showing exciting results and proving to be a powerful example 
of the impact of digital technology. Having achieved almost complete adoption 
in its first year, with 98% of hospitals and primary health care centers now 
linked to MAWID and more than 6.5 million users registered for online 
facilities. It has significantly streamlined and reduced delays in the 
appointments system with, to date, more than 16 million appointments being 
processed. 

MAWID is having marked impact on patient experience; surveys conducted among 
users revealing a 78% satisfaction rate for using MAWID.  Combined with the 
introduction of 937, MOH's central Call Center line, the MOH is successfully 
integrating service access in a holistic, person-centric way.  

Saudi MOH is not stopping here. MAWID is just one part of its wider digital 
strategy to ensure Saudi can deliver on its vision to secure a better health 
future for its people.  

"The reality is that the future is brighter with the use of technologies in 
health services," explains Dr. Tawfig AlRabiah, Saudi Minister of Health. "The 
aim is that the Kingdom will be a leader in this field and MAWID is one part of 
delivering that vision."

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880426/Ministry_of_Health_MAWID_app.jpg
Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/880427/Ministry_of_Health_MAWID_app.jpg

Source: Ministry of Health
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