Close to being prophetic, life insurer Pru Life UK commissioned advisory firm Quisumbing Torres to conduct a study on mobile health and examined the readiness of the country’s regulatory healthcare environment. Today, with the COVID-19 pandemic, people have shifted to digital not only on the purchase of essential items but even physical and mental health consultations.

Pru Life held the webinar “Healthscape PH” key stakeholders from the private and public sector highlighted the importance of adopting mobile health (mHealth), challenges of COVID-19, and the behavioral shift toward digital healthcare.

“There is no better time than today, amid all the uncertainties, for all of us to be more invested in our health,” said Antonio De Rosas, president and CEO, Pru Life. “As a company, we recognize the promise of building a healthier Philippines. A healthier Filipino population are not only more productive, but they also have higher eligibility for life insurance coverage. Insurance penetration in the country is still low at less than 2% of the GDP.”

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Andrew Wong, health officer, Prudential Corp. Asia, reiterated the company’s efforts in pushing for digital health and playing a a more extensive preventive role alongside protection to address the growing health burden in Asia.

Artificial intelligence

One way of encouraging people to give mobile or digital health a try is through apps. Pru Life’s all-in-one health management service Pulse App, which is free and uses artificial intelligence (AI). The app can be customized based on the users’ inputs on health information to help determine their overall health status, risk factors, symptoms, and fitness progress. Pulse also shares timely health news and advice to help users improve their lifestyle.

Dr. Mobasher Butt, chief medical officer, Babylon, Pru Life’s partner in building its Pulse App, said the use of technology, specifically AI, can transform healthcare systems citing global studies that made healthcare more accessible and accessible.

The panelists in the webinar comprised representatives from Pru Life UK and its regional headquarters Prudential Corporation Asia, as well as industry partners from Babylon, a global healthcare organization with a growing strong presence in Asia, the Department of Health (DOH) and digital services provider PLDT Inc.