In terms of being prepared for health challenges of the future, emerging countries are adopting connected care technology to help ‘leapfrog’ more advanced countries.
The Future Health Index report – commissioned by electronics giant Philips – focuses on access to healthcare, integration of the current health system and adoption of connected care technology. It gave South Africa the eighth-highest score (56.7 out of 100) in terms of perceived readiness in realising the benefits of integration and connected care.
According to the WEF, 48% of all South African healthcare professionals say connected care devices are often or already being used to treat patients, compared to 23% of their counterparts in the UK and 12% in Japan.
Similarly, the report also shows that 36% of patients in South Africa feel connected care would be more effective in managing their own health, compared to 28% in developed markets.
