Digital Health in Algeria during the Pandemic ( ASEPA, Algeria

DIGITAL HEALTH IN ALGERIA DURING THE PANDEMIC AMBASSADORS: ALYSSA BOUTNAF AND LYNA MERYAMA MEDJAHED ASEPA-ALGERIA.

The past decade has seen a rapid expansion in the adoption of technology around the world which has contributed to the creation of a new environment called the digital world. Therefore, the introduction of digitalization in the health system is today an essential element in supporting precision medicine, increasing access to information, as well as transforming care pathways while reducing facility costs and improving the patient’s experience by making more data available to them. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) considers the adoption of digital health in healthcare an ultimate goal and a top priority that could be the expectation of all healthcare professionals and patients.

As pharmacy students in Algeria, we face a controversy over the introduction of digitalization in the health sector. It should be noted that several measures have been taken in order to follow the massive growth of digital technology and to try to introduce it to support pharmacy students throughout their training course, for example through the adoption of the "blended learning" which provides courses through games and internet research orders, or the use of software such as digital platforms for exams (MOODLE platform) . Digitalization is also present during the registration, approval and control of pharmaceutical products through the use of the eCTD model, or during pharmacy inventory management.

With Covid-19 kicking in, we have seen, in Algeria -as everywhere in the world- an increase in the use of health technologies. On the other hand, the pandemic has shown the increased lack of digitalization in health facilities. Health professionals are facing many issues that need to be addressed promptly: The lack of data structuring and the lack of interdisciplinary skills because the nursing staff found themselves at the intersection of health and IT which prevented the proper patient follow-up, and the correct delivery of drugs and medical equipment. In addition, the lack of organisation of the dissemination of medical information on online platforms fueled the citizens' scepticism as to the reliability of this information. Obviously, a lot of technology has emerged to adapt to the situation such as telemedicine and other mobile health applications, yet this remains insufficient to face a long term sanitary crisis. We found ourselves realising that if digital health had a bigger place in medical practises and was used more widely, it would've been somehow easier to transition from a non epidemical state to an epidemical state. The health sector has the ideal predispositions in order to provide increasingly more digital health services to patients hence, it is necessary to establish an electronic management of patient records such as software and code bars which allow a better follow-up of the patient, also, we ought to establish an official platform that allows the control and communication of information to the public along with the use of software for prescribing and dispensing drugs and the enactment of laws that allow the control of these systems to avoid shortages.

However, education remains the first obstacle to overcome, mainly by exploiting human resources which are none other than the new generation synchronised with technology and very versatile that can breath new life to the digital world in Algeria, besides integrating digitalization into the student training, whilst taking into account the exact needs and requirements of the sectors of health. To conclude, acknowledging our weaknesses is the first step towards the improvement of healthcare. "Greatness is rarely achieved in good days, it's achieved through times of adversity and overcoming it.