Digital healthcare or health tech has an essential role in our lives. Its existence allows people to live longer and live healthier lifestyles.
One of the digital health-based startups in the US, AIME, has successfully created a platform that can predict Zika and Dengue outbreaks three months in advance. The prediction accuracy starts from 88.70% with geolocation up to a radius of 400 metres.
Dr Feisul Musthapa, Deputy Director of Non-Communicable Diseases at the Disease Control Division in Malaysia's Ministry of Health, said that one of Malaysia's main challenges is that health is a low priority for them. Even the National Health and Morbidity Survey in Malaysia shows that health literacy in adults only reaches 6.6%.
Malaysia's healthcare system is dual-tiered, sourced from tax payments and the private sector.
Thus, medical devices and investment in digital form can be a solution to help overcome challenges in Malaysian healthcare. Despite its still-developing status, the country's healthcare technology market has many innovative ideas to make healthcare more accessible. Malaysia also ensures that its healthcare is quality, affordable and patient-centred.
About Digital Health Malaysia (DHM)
One of the advancements in digital health in Malaysia is the DHM, previously known as the Telemedicine Development Group (TDG). This platform was created in 2015 after the first telemedicine conference.
DHM is a gathering place for health professionals, including researchers and the healthcare industry. They collaborate to advance the digital health agenda. Using the triple helix, DHM brings together critical stakeholders from policymakers, academia, medical practitioners and industry to propel Malaysia into the information technology era.
DHM's vision is to advocate for future health that is accessible, available everywhere, safe and affordable. In digital health, DHM also uses four strategic pillars: Drive Policy & Regulation, Develop Human Capital, Grow R&D and Innovation and Go-to-Market.
What is a Digital Health company?
The term Digital Health Company comes from two words Digital Health. Digital Health uses information and communication technology in medicine and other health professions. The goal is to manage disease and health risks and promote health. The scope of digital health includes using wearable devices, health information technology and telemedicine.
The main goals of digital health, according to the National Library of Medicine, are
- Improving access to health services so that access becomes easy
- Improved quality of care
- Healthcare costs are affordable
- Providing more personalised care to patients
From these terms, we can conclude that a Digital Health Company refers to an organisation or business that uses information and communication technology in digital health.
Top 5 Digital Healthcare in Malaysia
Asia, especially Malaysia, has many Healthtech startups. Below are the five most innovative Malaysian healthcare according to Virtual Spirit. Let's roll!
1. Naluri
Naluri is a B2B platform focusing on online psychology-based preventive health for policyholders and at-risk employees. Instinct acts as a liaison between policyholders and psychologists to help achieve a healthier lifestyle.
Naluri has five programs:
- Mental Health
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Cholesterol
There are three packages: for employees, insurance providers and individuals. Naluri also offers a free consultation program in the form of an assessment.
Year of establishment: 2017
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Co-Founders: Azran Osman-Rani and Dr Jeremy Ting
2. BookDoc
BookDoc is an application that connects patients with healthcare professionals. The user can choose the professional according to the complaint and then make an appointment. Doctors, as professionals, can list practices and manage orders.
BookDoc integrates with local hospitals and travel apps, such as Uber, Grab, Airbnb, TripAdvisor and Agoda. The app, which was launched in 2015, has also received support from the Malaysian Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism and the Social Security Organization.
BookDoc has six types of services, namely:
- Search and Book, a service to make an appointment with a doctor.
- Tele-consult: consultation via digital with guaranteed privacy.
- Healthcare professionals: services that connect patients with healthcare professionals.
- Hospital and Clinics: services that provide clinics, treatment and hospitals.
- Corporations: special services for companies.
- Marketplace: you can buy drugs through the marketplace. However, this service only works for premium users.
Year of establishment: 2015
Location: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Founder and Co-Founder: Dato' Chevy Beh (Founder) and Joel Neoh Eu-Jin (Co-Founder)
3. ThoughtFull
ThoughtFull is a SaaS-based mental health solution for employees, individuals and insurers. They have five values which are respect for the stories, sustainable change, worth of love, capacity to love and the right to be whole. ThoughtFull will apply this ethos to all users who use their application.
ThoughtFull has several programs:
- Mental health
- Therapy sessions
- Intervention programs
- Educational content
Year of establishment: 2018
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Founder: Joan Low
4. Health Metric
HealthMetric helps companies manage employee health from a single platform. A website-based platform to help Human Resources (HR) departments manage the complexities of employee health plans. HealthMeric gives HR flexibility to implement other benefits such as dental care or glasses. This platform can serve as an analysis of employee productivity.
HealthMetric offers four packages: Outpatient, Outpatient Specialist + NPR, Inpatient + Outpatient and Customised.
Year of establishment: 2015
Location: Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Founders: Jerry Hang
5. DoctorOnCall
DoctorOnCall became the first medical video consultation platform in Malaysia. This platform combines video and sound technology with medical knowledge and experience from doctors.
The platform is inspired by existing projects in the US, Europe and Australia, where healthcare professionals can make diagnoses via Skype or other video conferencing applications.
DoctorOnCall gives patients access to doctors via chat, phone or video. Then doctors can make electronic prescriptions and deliver drugs within 1-2 hours because Doctor OnCall already has its marketplace. DoctorOnCall also has special services for corporates.
There are seven services they offer, namely:
- Ask Doctor
- Health Screening
- Specialist Doctor
- Specialist Hospitals
- Consult Doctor
- KKM Bookings
- Pneumococcal Vaccination
DoctorOnCall is an open platform. You can register on this platform if you are a licensed doctor and meet the requirements. You can customise your work by providing virtual consulting services through this platform.
Year of establishment: 2016
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Founders: Maran Virumandi and Hazwan Najib
