HIMSS and Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council Sign Agreement to Develop Healthcare Travel Industry

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed recently between HIMSS and the Malaysian government to collaborate and develop Malaysia's healthcare travel industry.

The MOU was signed Jan. 11 by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council, an agency operating under the Ministry of Health, and the agreement is in line with their Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025.The blueprint features three key strategies, and one is to anchor the industry’s transformation by strengthening the healthcare travel ecosystem through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and network-building initiatives.

HIMSS will serve as a strategic partner in the Flagship Hospital Initiative and help raise the global profiling of Malaysia’s iconic hospitals. The international health advocate will engage these hospitals to achieve Stage 7 for the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) in capacity building by 2025.

The multistage EMRAM measures clinical outcomes, patient engagement and clinician use of EMR technology to strengthen organisational performance and health outcomes for patient populations.

"A key component in our strategies to deliver world-class medical, service and operational excellence is redefining the patient experience through a unified and collaborative approach to digitalisation,” said Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, chief executive of MHTC. “Our collaboration with HIMSS takes us a step forward in this journey. Leveraging HIMSS’s expertise in digital and technology and its vast network across the globe, we can forge more pathways for the industry to strengthen our digital and technological capabilities and explore new avenues to amplify the Malaysia Healthcare brand.”

Equally excited about the partnership, HIMSS looked to advance its mission to reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.

 “We are pleased to partner with MHTC and having Malaysia as part of our global network,” said Simon Lin, HIMSS Asia-Pacific vice president and executive director. “Having served the global health community for more than 60 years, HIMSS has a strong track record in providing thought leadership insights and consultancy in improving the quality, safety, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of healthcare through best practices in information technology and management systems.”

Details of the MOU to help foster innovation and sustainable growth in the Malaysia healthcare travel industry include:

1. Knowledge sharing and capacity building initiatives to push for continuous digital and technology adoption in the Malaysia Healthcare ecosystem;
2. Strategic thought leadership initiatives and building a value proposition for Malaysia by leveraging both parties’ resources, expertise, and capabilities in the healthcare travel and wellness;
3. Leveraging HIMSS’ regional and global network as well as thought leadership platforms to profile and increase Malaysia Healthcare’s reach, especially in identified focus markets;

MHTC will also recommend HIMSS EMRAM to all 73 of its member hospitals as a tool to measure and improve their digital maturity to further strengthen the country’s appeal as health tourism providers.