How emerging economies can harness the power of big healthcare data: Emerging economies must avoid the so-called “Data Rich Information Poor” syndrome if they are to fully benefit from the ongoing data boom in the healthcare sector, Rwandan Health Minister Noella Bigirimana writes for the World Economic Forum. Data generation in developing countries is forecast to overtake mature economies next year, providing them the tools to fully capitalize on advanced wireless technologies, AI and genomics. The growth of data collection has been especially rapid in the healthcare sector, where it is thought to be increasing by 48% every year.

A tech-literate workforce: Both the private sector and governments must act decisively to produce a workforce capable of using data effectively and integrating potentially disruptive technology. Healthcare companies should quantify the impact of automation and AI on the workplace, and equip staff with the skills necessary to work alongside advanced technologies. A more fundamental realignment of the education system is necessary if emerging economies want to establish themselves as global leaders in tech innovation: this means attracting science and tech institutions to university campuses, and fostering a strong culture of tech education and research.

Integrating digital health systems: Transmitting healthcare records between different systems has presented major barriers to fully digitizing the sector. The Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard enables data collected from multiple healthcare providers to be gathered into a single database containing a patient’s medical history, eliminating the need for data silos or paper archives.

Data protection: Governments should establish data protection policies that enable the sharing of information while safeguarding the rights of the individual. It’s a tough balance to strike given that the advancement of the sector depends on the ability to share large volumes of sensitive information between many organizations. And emerging economies should also be cognizant of the sometimes conflicting ambitions of aligning data policies with international standards and addressing the privacy concerns of citizens.