Earlier this year, KLAS Research recognized Cerner as the leading EHR provider in the Middle East. The recognition was published as part of KLAS’s first supplier performance report focused specifically on EHR use in the Middle East region.
Approximately 50 clinicians from hospitals in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates participated in the KLAS survey. The top providers were ranked by customer satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 100. Cerner topped the list with a score of 80.6.
Congratulations to all Cerner associates who have contributed to this achievement! Read on for more insight into the Middle East market and how Cerner is supporting its rapid growth.
A unique market mix
Although the Middle East is often viewed through a single lens, it’s important to remember that it comprises many individual countries. The maturity of the health care market in each country varies, and each comes with its own unique set of challenges, regulations and needs.
Additionally, the demographics across countries in the Middle East are often heavily skewed in comparison to the norms in developed countries. It is not uncommon for expatriates to make up more than 80 percent of the population, of which the vast majority are male laborers aged 20 to 35, working on infrastructure projects related to major events like the Dubai Expo 2020 or Qatar World Cup 2022. This places unique demands on the health care system in the short- and long-term. Furthermore, the population is relatively young, tech-savvy and connected, leading to demand for more intelligent and efficient technology-enabled systems of care.
Rapid growth
Because many Middle Eastern clients are government organizations, they are positioned to make large-scale changes. Many Middle East countries have learned the lessons of EHR from their counterparts with more mature health care markets, such as the U.S., UK, and Australia. By proactively identifying and navigating potential pitfalls, the Middle East has, in many ways, been able to leapfrog other countries by moving directly to an integrated model of health and care through the deployment of system-wide technologies, instead of making incremental shifts. This has resulted in rapid growth and expansion in the market.
Cerner’s approach
Cerner has implemented strategic changes in recent years to better support clients in the Middle East. In 2017 and 2018, we adjusted our client engagement model to provide more focus and personalized engagement. We introduced a country-level leadership structure to provide a more concentrated emphasis on our clients.
As the Middle East market rapidly matured, organizations were looking beyond simply converting legacy paper systems to digital. Their focus was instead on digitalization as a means to deliver tangible value and digital transformation aligned with the Quadruple Aim. Cerner responded accordingly and adapted our operating model to deliver on our clients’ success. As a result, we added new clients from the private sector and were able to address our clients’ needs more efficiently.
What’s next
Over the next few years, Cerner will be singularly focused on delivering tangible value for our clients to drive their success. The Quadruple Aim will be at the forefront as we support our clients in delivering holistic, patient-centered care within our communities in the Middle East. We will drive improved population health and prevention through the agile deployment and use of new technology, data and analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and interoperability.
