From Data to Action: GIS Technology in Malaysian Healthcare

April 6, 2024

An EXCLUSIVE Q&A with Dr. Mohamad Fadli bin Kharie, Senior Principal Assistant Director at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia

As World Health Day approaches on April 7th, the global healthcare sector reflects on the pivotal role of technological advancements during the pandemic and their potential in mitigating future health crises. With an alarming increase in tuberculosis cases in Malaysia in 2023, attention turns to the tools available to address such challenges.

Dr. Mohamad Fadli bin Kharie, a key figure at the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, has spearheaded the integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology into Malaysia’s healthcare initiatives.

By utilizing GIS for projects like Covid-19 and CPRC Disaster Preparedness dashboards, Dr. Fadli has revolutionized disease control efforts by uncovering distribution patterns and optimizing resource allocation.

His innovative approach, recognized with a prestigious award, highlights the transformative power of geospatial solutions in safeguarding public health.

In this special feature, HCA has interviewed Dr. Fadli regarding issues on healthcare delivery in Malaysia and how digital health services can make these services more efficient.

Healthcare Asia Online (HCA) : How have digital health projects impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in Malaysia?

Dr. Mohamad Fadli bin Kharie : Digital health projects are revolutionizing healthcare delivery in Malaysia, and here at the Ministry of Health, we’re witnessing a transformation. These initiatives are significantly improving both efficiency and effectiveness.

Efficiency gains: The digitalization of medical records through EMR and the automation of public health interventions are leading the charge. By implementing digital health solutions, the need for paper charts and record-keeping is eliminated, thus reducing the burden for healthcare workers.

This allows them to focus more on patient care. Additionally, secure health information exchange (HIE) platforms enable seamless sharing of medical records across facilities.

This eliminates data redundancy and ensures that healthcare providers have a complete picture of a patient’s medical history, leading to faster diagnoses and more informed treatment plans.

Better health data analytics: Digitalization in healthcare through central data initiatives such as the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW) serves as a game-changer. By collating health data from across the nation, MyHDW facilitates powerful operational data analytics. This empowers us to make data-driven decisions on resource allocation, public health interventions, and healthcare system improvements. Additionally, MyHDW provides a rich resource for researchers, fostering innovation and the development of new treatment strategies and preventative measures.

GIS expands our reach: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) also play a crucial role. By mapping disease outbreaks, health hazards, and identifying high-risk areas, we can target resources and public health interventions more effectively. Mapping of resources allows decision-makers to better plan and prioritize health resources.

Challenges such as infrastructure readiness, financial capacity, and cybersecurity exist, but the Ministry of Health is committed to expanding these initiatives and ensuring they reach all Malaysians. This will ultimately create a more efficient, effective, and equitable healthcare system for our nation.

HCA: What are some challenges you have faced in implementing digital health and GIS projects in Malaysia, and how have you addressed them?

Dr. Fadli: There are various challenges, including:

Digital Divide: Not all healthcare facilities in Malaysia have reliable internet access or staff trained in using digital health tools. This creates a gap, particularly in rural areas where access to quality healthcare is already limited.

Data Privacy Concerns: Building trust with the public regarding data security is crucial. We need to ensure clear communication about how health data is collected, stored, and used.

Data Standardization: For GIS projects, integrating data from various government agencies can be challenging. Differing data formats and collection methods often lead to inconsistencies and inaccurate maps for public health analysis.

On the other hand, these are the solutions available:

Capacity Building: We have empowered health personnel and technical officers from various divisions within the Ministry of Health to enhance their knowledge of GIS and location analysis-based problem-solving methods. Based on their operational challenges, we have coached them on leveraging GIS solutions to address their specific issues.

User-Friendly and portable digital health Design: We prioritize user-friendly, non-coding interfaces for digital health solutions, making it easier for healthcare personnel with varying technical backgrounds to utilize these tools effectively. Additionally, they can use these tools offline or online using their own devices.

Collaboration and Standardization: We actively collaborate with other government agencies to establish standardized data collection and formatting protocols. This ensures consistent, high-quality data that can be easily integrated into our GIS platform, thereby leading to more accurate and actionable insights for public health interventions.

HCA: Can you share some insights into how working alongside Esri Malaysia supports the development and implementation of GIS projects in the healthcare sector?

Dr. Fadli: Esri Malaysia supports the Ministry of Health Malaysia by providing technology consultation, technical assistance, and advice on GIS solutions. They assist us in the smooth execution of GIS solutions within our public health interventions. Esri Malaysia helps us leverage GIS tools that the MOH already possesses and utilize them efficiently. This partnership strengthens the ministry’s ability to use geospatial technology effectively, thereby improving public health efforts and protecting Malaysian communities.

“By strategically integrating these advancements, we aim to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Malaysia, ensuring better health outcomes for our citizens.”

HCA: How do you see the GeoInnovation Awards encouraging innovation and excellence in geospatial technology applications, particularly in healthcare and public health?

Dr. Fadli: The GeoInnovation Awards serve as a powerful driver for innovation in the Malaysian healthcare sector’s utilization of geospatial technology. By recognizing groundbreaking solutions, they inspire others to explore the potential of this technology in addressing health challenges.

Moreover, the awards ceremony fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing among geospatial experts, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. This cross-pollination of ideas leads to even more powerful applications of geospatial technology, ultimately contributing to a healthier Malaysia.

HCA: What are your thoughts on the future of GIS projects in Malaysia, especially in healthcare?

Dr. Fadli: The future of Malaysian GIS projects in healthcare hinges on mainstreaming the GIS technology and solution within the health ecosystem and this will include:

Improved GIS Capacity: Investing in training and upskilling healthcare professionals in GIS utilization empowers them to leverage the technology for more effective disease surveillance, resource allocation, and program planning.

Enhanced Data Availability: By standardizing the collection and storage practices of health data, we make it more geo-enabled, allowing for seamless integration into GIS platforms for powerful analysis.

Integrated Health Data Landscape: We aim to break down silos between public and private healthcare systems and other agencies, creating a unified data ecosystem. This fosters a more holistic view of population health and risk factors.

Emerging Technology Adoption: Embracing cutting-edge technologies such as AI and real-time data dashboards enables us to unlock deeper insights from geospatial health data. This, in turn, allows for more informed decision-making and targeted interventions.

HCA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is firmly committed to leveraging digital health to navigate future epidemics. MOH actively pursuing several initiatives that will pave the way for a comprehensive strategy.

Dr. Fadli: I can answer perhaps on the perspective of health data analytic. One key focus is achieving nationwide digitalization of healthcare facilities through innovative approaches. This ambitious goal aims to close the gap in healthcare digitalization in Malaysia.

We envision a seamlessly interoperable system and data across both public and private healthcare facilities and sectors. Alongside existing digital health projects, this will foster a robust ecosystem for health data analytics, empowering us with real-time insights for disease surveillance, health hazard analysis, and informed decision-making for public health interventions.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health is keenly interested in exploring the potential of emerging technologies in healthcare. We see immense promise in areas such as AI in various aspects of healthcare, big data analytics, embracing cloud technologies, and other digital health interventions such as robotics and drones. By strategically integrating these advancements, we aim to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Malaysia, ensuring better health outcomes for our citizens.

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