How NMC Healthcare Advances Data Management with Snowflake

NMC Healthcare, a network of hospitals and clinics within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is integrating Snowflake to transform its data management across 70 facilities, improving treatment for 5.5m patients annually.

The cloud computing company, renowned for data storage solutions, will assist NMC in centralising patient and operational data, expediting clinical decisions utilising AI-powered analytics.

This is a change from the fragmented systems used by most hospitals. 

Instead of healthcare professionals accessing separate databases for lab results, patient histories and other data, all details integrate into a unified platform.

How Snowflake is enhancing clinical decision-making

The agreement, finalised at NMC’s Abu Dhabi site, aims to provide superior information for caregivers treating patients.

Clinicians receive real-time updates from the hospital network, bypassing the usual wait for IT departments to process reports hours after.

The technology integrates electronic medical records, CT images, lab results and bed management systems into a cohesive data source.

This holistic approach enables healthcare professionals to have a comprehensive view of patients without needing to access multiple systems.

“The use of Snowflake enables an infrastructure that allows our teams to act on insights in real time – whether that’s enhancing patient care and experience or optimising operations,” says Christopher Habib, Chief Strategy Officer at NMC.

This development aligns with NMC’s efforts to modernise as UAE hospitals strive to implement new technologies.

Healthcare authorities demand enhanced data monitoring, while rising patient volume necessitates innovative resource management solutions.

Yet, the technical hurdles are considerable. Healthcare information comprises various formats, from imaging files in gigabytes to basic text records.

Historically, integrating these systems has been a daunting task for hospital IT teams.

Middle East healthcare embracing cloud solutions

This collaboration illustrates how swiftly healthcare in the region is adopting cloud-based analytics, driven in part by necessity as patient numbers increase faster than existing IT frameworks can accommodate.

Snowflake’s platform enables organisations to store and process vast data sets without needing proprietary data centres.

The system can dynamically adjust its computing capacity, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness when hospitals process large amounts of data.

Specifically for healthcare, these platforms are instrumental in tracking disease patterns and assessing treatment outcomes, allowing hospitals to benchmark performance and identify optimal treatments for specific patient categories.

“NMC Healthcare is a leading example of how forward-thinking organisations in the UAE are modernising their data strategies to improve healthcare outcomes,” says Tareq Masoud, Country Manager of Snowflake’s UAE operations.

The advantages of real-time data in healthcare

One major change is transitioning from systems with infrequent updates to platforms with constant information refreshment.

Immediate updates on changes in a patient’s condition enable timely intervention by medical teams, avoiding delays until the next shift change.

Real-time processing also aids clinical decision support tools, highlighting potential complications before they escalate.

These tools may alert teams to potential drug interactions or propose alternative treatments considering similar earlier cases.

The system’s architecture supports NMC in meeting stringent UAE requirements concerning patient data security and clinical documentation.

Cloud solutions typically include comprehensive audit trails and stringent security measures expected by regulators.

NMC’s operations span emergency units to specialist cancer centres throughout the seven UAE emirates.

The network includes major facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, alongside smaller clinics in locations such as Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

The organisations have not shared financial specifics but plan to extend Snowflake’s application as NMC enhances its analytics muscles.

“We’re ensuring that NMC remains future-ready, equipped to support the UAE’s commitment to innovation and its vision for an advanced, accessible and high-quality healthcare system,” Christopher reiterates.