jamaica

STARTING a technology-based business can sometimes seem like a daunting task — between finding capital, securing permits and finding the right staff many entrepreneurs get frustrated and often decide to throw in the towel.
But Douglas Halsall, chief executive officer of Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS), made the decision to venture into the computerised systems over three decades ago and hasn't looked back since.
Like many other entrepreneurs he said, "It was a process, it didn't take place overnight."

The recent Caribbean Conference on Healthcare Financing, held in Antigua, has placed the discussion of universal health coverage and health financing squarely on the table of Caribbean countries again, but this time with more emphasis on the role technology can play to facilitate this process.

This is a much-welcomed approach as the power of technology to fuel the development of the healthcare sector has been long discussed but slow to implement.

We have heard a lot of talk about Blockchain over the last few years in reference to technology and how it can revolutionise data collection, storage, and information sharing.

September 30, 2022

Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS), is seeking to bring further efficiency to the Pharmaceutical industry through the use of technology. Known for being the leading provider of health technology solutions in Jamaica, the company is providing solutions to pharmacists and doctors at reduced costs to facilitate easier and more affordable sign on.

Many types of health technology software have become available over the last decade and the world is moving swiftly towards digitising healthcare systems. The rapid changes that we have experienced in technology over the last decades have not matched user acceptance. Some societies are slower than others to adopt technology. In these areas, technology penetration is generally low, and people sometimes view new technology with suspicion.

The world is beginning to embrace health technology in a big way. So much so that the global care solutions market has expanded and is projected to continue to experience immense growth.

According to researchandmarkets.com, in 2021, the value of the global care management solutions market was estimated to be $13.2 billion. It is estimated that it will have a compound annual growth rate of about 13.3 per cent and, therefore, should be valued at approximately $27.9 billion by 2027.

In healthcare, the ability to diagnose early can be the difference between life and death or lifelong ill-health and costly medical care. Many times, ailments such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially cancers, can be better treated if they were detected early. Cancer is still among the top-10 causes of mortality in Jamaica and several NCDs fill out the rest of that list. Early diagnosis is key in many instances to prevent death or disability.

Technology and how it has improved the insurance industry was one of the issues highlighted at the just concluded 40th Annual Caribbean Insurance Conference, held in the Bahamas from June 5-7, 2022. CEO of Advanced Integrated Systems, Doug Halsall, who was a special guest at the event, presented on the topic: Health Insurance Trends in the Caribbean.

Artificial intelligence tools are a key factor in improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery and an important benefit of full digitisation. Automation of processes, machine learning, and predictive analytics are a few ways in which administrators can take advantage of technology to improve their business and better serve their patients and staff. This also may reduce the workload on individuals who would have to manually input and analyse data, for example.

What if all of your healthcare providers could view your complete electronic medical record (EMR) before recommending treatment for the individual issue that they may be dealing with?

For example, it is often said that many illnesses can be first diagnosed through dental issues. Things like diabetes, for example, become apparent first in the oral cavity. Similarly, that and other non-communicable diseases can cause issues with the eye.