Science and technology drivers for healthcare
Not too long ago, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in collaboration with Futurise Sdn Bhd, launched the OHS regulatory lab and invited the online health services (OHS) provider community to register to participate in it.
After a briefing explanation about how the regulatory lab would work, Senior Deputy Director of the Planning Division, Dr. Fazilah Shaik Allaudin, moderated an open dialogue among the OHS providers and the healthcare industry, regulators, and stakeholders.
Many things are already in the works, and the regulatory lab is a good initiative to consolidate and coordinate all existing and upcoming efforts.
Dr. Fazilah described, “The working group already comprises of regulators like MMC, dental, pharmacy, TCM (traditional complementary medicine) and also Allied Health. So the regulatory bodies and also nursing divisions are in the working group, along with agencies like NACSA, MAMPU, and MPC.”
Indeed, there is a myriad of ways that the situation could pan out, and self-regulation is definitely in the cards.
Refining the OHS Regulatory Lab guideline version 1 (2021) and healthcare delivery standards is MOH’s short term goal for 2022 to 2023.
Regulatory instruments
One of the things to highlight was Dr. Fazilah’s view that not everything requires regulation. “So, the lab is also to find the best regulatory instrument. It could require improvement of guidelines, or improvement of policies, or just updating of Acts, to include necessary clauses.”
Indeed, there is a myriad of ways that the situation could pan out, and self-regulation is definitely in the cards.
When asked by a healthcare professional about the option for the industry to regulate itself, Dr. Fazilah weighed in with her thoughts that it is definitely one of the options the MOH has looked into.
“We have also identified what type of services can be self-regulated, but to actually do so requires you to have peers… even if you have an association or a society that will (have members who) monitor each other.
“This is how the NRS and the National Technology Sandbox is working, Right now, we have 70 players in our list, but there may be more. So these are the things we would like to understand.”
“So, self-regulation is possible,” she said adding that MOH is also learning from MCMC which has implemented a self-regulation regime for the telco industry.
Approach to Emerging tech and innovation
Part of the need to update existing regulations is due to the fact that the industry that utilises technology more now than before. Stakeholders and regulators are keeping a close eye on existing and emerging tech which have potential to at least disrupt the landscape and the way that healthcare services are delivered.
The idea is to work with OHS providers in batches called ‘cohorts’, with registrations for new cohorts to join happening every three months.
“This is how the NRS and the National Technology Sandbox is working, Right now, we have 70 players in our list, but there may be more. So these are the things we would like to understand.”
A member of the healthcare community also opined that while the lab is important for regulation purposes, it also has to look into giving opportunities to local players.
Dr. Fazilah shared this was the aim of the National Technology Innovation Sandbox (NTIS); to look at local players, their IP and their potential for commercialisation.
“There may be other things that are outside the scope of the regulatory lab, but I want to assure you, digital transformation on the whole (for healthcare) is being looked at in terms of governance, in terms of legislation, regulation, ethics, and so forth.
“So there is a lot of work for the next few years, especially for this 12th Malaysia Plan (we are in).”
He said, “We are focusing on these three niche areas for healthcare services that we need to develop in the coming ten years, and digital health figures very prominently in that, because the economic returns will be very high.”
Science and technology drivers
Datuk Dr. Hishamshah bin Mohd Ibrahim, MOH’s Deputy Health Director for research and technical support added that the Malaysian Science, Technology, Innovation, and Economy (MySTIE) framework, which was introduced in 2020 by Khairy Jamaluddin, had identified technology drivers for socio-economic industries like healthcare, finance, water and food, and more, to develop.
For healthcare, three drivers – digital health, precision medicine, and clinical trials.
He said, “We are focusing on these three niche areas for healthcare services that we need to develop in the coming ten years, and digital health figures very prominently in that, because the economic returns will be very high.”
