A shift in the way health care is delivered — with more collection of personal biodata and a greater reliance on Artificial Intelligence — will shape care systems of the future, experts said.
Speaking at Arab Health, the region’s largest medical conference, health sector professionals said emerging trends showed data would dominate with more hospitals turning to AI to automate their work.
As data collection from patients becomes more efficient, and technology more adept at analysis, experts at the event at Dubai World Trade Centre say medics should be freed up to spend more time delivering the human touch to those in need of care.
Appointments from home
Dr Alan Kennedy, founder of PulseAI — a digital health company using machine learning to improve diagnostics — said technology could free up hospital waiting rooms.
“The dream is that in the near future, people won’t have to go to the hospital or GP clinic as they can be remotely monitored in their own home,” he said.
“The tools are already there, like wearable biometric devices, watches and rings that collect data, but the challenge is having good enough artificial intelligence software for accurate analysis.
“The value comes from improving accuracy and efficiency, so radiologists and doctors do not have to manually go through huge amounts of data.”
Cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer remain the most common causes of death, with advanced AI algorithms capable of providing a more accurate reading of a patient’s risk.
As advanced screening and diagnostic technology becomes more widespread, so has the amount of health data generated.
Definitive results
PulseAI has been licensed by smart device manufacturers to be integrated into everyday wearable devices to help individuals understand their heart.
During its research, the company evaluated more than a million electrocardiograms from seven different countries, each annotated by a cardiologist or emergency physician, to compare results with those analysed by its AI algorithm.
Normally, if a doctor is not sure whether the results indicate an abnormality, they will mark the test as inconclusive and ask the patient to return for another.
By using the software, the number of inconclusive reports reduced from around 20 per cent, to 1 per cent.
“Studies are showing continuous monitoring is the most effective form of diagnosis,” said Dr Kennedy.
“Patients get a better quality of surveillance of their condition, and then earlier treatment with better outcomes.
“Ultimately, AI will free up time for medical professionals to spend elsewhere, particularly in cardiology and radiology.”
Advanced AI algorithms can provide users with a more accurate reading of their risk from heart disease, particularly if they are facing a heart attack or an irregular heartbeat.
Catching abnormalities early
Wearable technology not only helps users if they face a medical emergency, but also identifies a condition before it becomes problematic.
Robots and AI proved its worth in health care during the pandemic, as it learned how best to disinfect public areas, deliver packages, and predict how fast the virus was spreading, to manage the flow of people.
Algorithms are now so advanced, they can track breathing rates and the severity of a patient’s cough to diagnose disease.
Other trends likely to appear in healthcare systems of the future included how to deal with stress, growth of medical tourism and more emphasis on well-being technologies and preventive care.
As health technology in the form of wearable devices, smartphone apps and digital health data continues to penetrate our lives, AI will continue to fundamentally change health care of the future.
Better use of time
With about 70 per cent of healthcare organisations across Europe and the US already using some AI to automate work, the importance of human-machine collaboration has never been more apparent, according to Kevin Lev, from the healthcare informatics division of Philips.
“Doctors who embrace artificial intelligence in radiology and elsewhere will ultimately perform better than those who don’t,” he said.
“Radiologists are often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data they have.
“It is a bad use of their time to go over scores of regulation chest X-rays that could take up 70 per cent of their work.
“That can be covered by AI, to rule out potential disease and provide a better insight for more complicated cases that require further investigation.
“Three years ago physicians would have been concerned that AI could replace them.
“Now they are seeing the opportunities that are created to make their work more efficient.”
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SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Napoleon
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On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Naga
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
