by Rafaela Prifti/
As “healthcare to all” pushes innovations to build new partnerships and collaborations around the world, Albanian Americans here and in diaspora recognize the immense opportunities and are making strides in Telehealth sectors.
The posting of International Virtual Conference – Latest Trends in Digital Health described it as “an outstanding opportunity to learn more from world leaders in Digital Health about the latest developments that are shaping health systems.” The agenda listed: opening remarks by Tory Cenaj, founder and publisher of Partners in Digital Health, keynote speaker Charles Nahabedian, recipient of a national award of outstanding contributions for pioneering work in wireless, followed by two Roundtable discussions with experts in medical and health-related areas, and a Plenary Session with presentations by Dr. Marsela Ceno, President of the Society of Albanian doctors in Germany and Dr. Sulejman Mani Çelaj, Co-Founder of Albanian American Medical Society.
Co-hosts, Tory Cenaj of Partners in Digital Health Institute and Dr. Neshad Asllani, Head of Executive Board at Klinika Digjitale, underlined the vast opportunities presented by tech advances in building new partnerships and collaborations to provide healthcare services to all. Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which laid bare the extreme health disparities in the US and around the world, the innovations are evolving fast but that is only part of the story. Behind the stunning undertaking in technology, there needs to be a well-coordinated effort of innovators, health care advocates, lawmakers, medical community, providers all the way to the patients. “Through technology advances, policy makers, the medical community and health citizens can work toward the best health outcomes at affordable rates for all,” Tory Cenaj told Dielli. As it happens, she remembers being featured in Dielli as a young promising high school graduate the year of her college acceptance. Yes, her mother has saved the paper clipping. Although it was before my time at Dielli as English Editor, it is a point worth-visiting in the future.
“The pandemic has catapulted digital health adoption and solutions to the forefront of patient care. Through technology advances, policy makers, the medical community and health citizens can work toward the best health outcomes at affordable rates for all. Kosovo and all those in the Balkan region, stand to gain through advancing partnership, collaboration and education. The Telehealth and Medicine Today Kosovo Chapter plans to impact the market with future education and policy events. With family in both Albania and Kosovo, healthcare remains a priority for me in the region,” was Ms. Cenaj’s comment for Dielli.
To get to “the best health outcomes at affordable rates for all” as Tory Cenaj put it, one has to have “the product” that’s up to the task. Behind that innovation is Charles Nahabedian, CEO of VideoKall Inc. The company has invented the first known, face-to-face guided service, in a medical enclosure. In 2018 VideoKall was prototyping an unmanned health clinic in Baltimore. The creators at VideoKall believe that ‘micro clinic’ cabins will change a routine doctor’s visit. In terms of a possible launching date of the product for markets like Kosova, Albania and the Balkans, Mr. Nahabedian, response to Dielli was: “The date depends upon the level and type of local support for small trials; defining the business appropriate for any country; and finding the appropriate financial, operational and medical partners to make it happen.”
At the Virtual Conference, the keynote speaker, Charles Nahabedian, related a personal experience from his childhood to make a point that then as now Healthcare begins with access. His company’s product brings healthcare to where people are which benefits remote communities as well as senior and assisted living communities. “Covid led to a boom in Telehealth,” he said in his presentation. Adding that “the pandemic accelerated the decline in healthcare, it did not cause it,” VideoKall founder proceeded to make a strong case for better solutions in healthcare. ClinicStop cabin is designed to hold medical instruments to take the medical readings like a stethoscope, thermometer blood pressure cuff, glucose monitor with accuracy. It is operated remotely, and the nurse practitioner appears on a screen via satellite video.
On the point of access to medical services supported by data, I contacted Dr. Neshad Asllani, Head of Executive Board of Klinika Digjitale. He said that its online service “has seen an increase of 800% in the course of the pandemic.” On its platform, patients can access from 45 providers and specialists from USA, EU countries, Africa and Asia making their services available in 14 languages in the US, EU, UK and around the globe. “The service is almost completely automated. On it, two relevant features are the Second Opinion program and treatment abroad in cases when it is not available domestically,” said Dr. Neshad Asllani of Klinika Digjitale, co-host of the Virtual Conference on June 2. Touching on the issue of hemorrhaging of Albanian medical graduates, he said: “Klinika Digjitale offers its services to the Albanian diaspora all around the world, and at the same time integrates the medical community of the diaspora in Europe and USA (out of about 3,000 Albanian doctors, 1,800 of them are in Germany). ‘While they are away from the homeland, this helps to “fill the gap back home” as well as serve the Albanian diaspora.”
In terms of goals, he said that Klinika Digjitale aims to increase its presence in the US. “We are in negotiations with a number of online American companies. The opportunities are bountiful, the possibilities are real, and the will is limitless. We have the medical staff and a solid experience, as we are leaders of digital health in Europe,” Dr. Neshad Asllani, Head of Executive Board at Klinika Digjitale told Dielli.
With regard to issues of security and privacy, growing concerns with groups of population who believe in conspiracy theories, and questions on the cost to patients, I directed my questions by email to Charles Nahabedian. Here is our Q&A:
Q. In the age of a growing number of cyber attacks, do you have concerns about security in the digital health?
A. Simple answer is yes, now and for a long time. Vendors of computer and telecom-based systems must use all the technology and techniques to make it impossible to hack, and if they do get hacked, the effort for the hacker is more than the reward. Our base system is inherently secure because of the privacy and the architecture. The greatest points of vulnerability have special protections on our side of the interoperability points.
Q. When dealing with groups of populations that are prone to conspiracy theories, or resist vaccinations or wearing masks, do you anticipate to encounter hesitations or misgivings with your product?
A. Based upon primary research, we expect that at least 60% of the population will want to use our product. From the perspective of realizing that acceptance, we will be educating potential users prior to actual service in their geographical area.
Q. Do you have a launching date in mind for markets like Kosova and Albania or the Balkan region?
A. The date depends upon the level and type of local support for small trials; defining the business appropriate for any country; and finding the appropriate financial, operational and medical partners to make it happen.
Q. While you said that your product comes at no fee for the patients, Nana Frimpong MD, Vice President, Africa at Vezeeta.com, raised the issue of “providers charging premiums for convenience”. How do you square that?
A. Our platform is offered on the premise that a medical provider is servicing the patient from a medical and financial perspective. We “white label” our products, so that the name of the provider is on the patient device. In a free market, the provider can charge whatever they deem appropriate – higher in some areas where they can afford it, perhaps because of convenience, and lower in areas that are economically challenged. My statement is that in the US, the patient should not have to pay more than in mini clinics. What i did not say, is that there are organizations that can subsidize the patient equipment, such that the provider can charge less because there is little or no capital recovery of the patient equipment. In a country where there is a government plan, the pricing would be up to the government administering healthcare and these access points (e.g., visits could be free or low-cost to unload physicians and clinics, or the access could be on a subscription basis).
As a final observation, the International Virtual Conference did present the latest developments and digital trends that are shaping health systems. Innovations in technology backed by new partnerships and collaborations around the world present opportunities for all to bring the “next generation stuff” within sight of this one.