The app, introduced in a record time of two months, is in line with Vision 2030’s plan to transform the Kingdom’s healthcare system through new technology
RIYADH, March 7, 2018 – The Saudi Ministry of Health (MoH) announced that it is using technology to enhance remote medical services through the introduction of a new digital app that enables visual medical consultations to be performed remotely. The smart phone app provides all Saudi citizens, regardless of their location in the Kingdom, the means to have face-to-face consultations with their personal physicians or appropriate specialists.
Introduced in a record time of two months only, the app is in line with Vision 2030’s plan to affect a qualitative transformation of the Kingdom’s healthcare system through the use of new technology. It covers the Kingdom’s entire 2.15 million square km area.
The Ministry reported that it expects use of the app to grow as potential users learn about the possibility of experiencing remote visual consultations and obtaining vital health information via their smart phones. As part of its strategic objective to invest in modern technology while simultaneously promoting communication with service recipients, the new MoH app offers patients a fast and efficient means of consulting directly with medical experts, regardless of time or place.
Once downloaded on smart phones, the app enables users to directly communicate with healthcare specialists and present their health concerns both visually and verbally. Doctors will respond to the caller’s inquiries and provide them with a consultation that could result in the issuing of prescriptions or a recommendation for a medical procedure. The application provides visual, audio and written communication from 8 am to midnight on weekdays and from 4 pm until midnight on weekends.
The introduction of the app comes on the heels of the Ministry’s recently launched e-health strategy, one of the 40 initiatives it has introduced as part of the National Transformation Program 2020. Through the e-health program, the Ministry will improve the quality and efficiency of medical care in the Kingdom by adopting information technology and driving digital transformation in the field.
As part of this initiative, the system will provide medical personnel with access to patient data. The information accessible includes all certified medical information, clinical and administrative support services records, and records of communication and off-site consultations. The system is expected to reduce medical and diagnostic errors, ameliorating the symptoms of a medical condition while providing easily and always accessible medical education via the Internet.
The app is free-of-charge for everyone and can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
