Pulse by Prudential Set to Help Revolutionise the Future of Healthcare

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 August 2019 - Pulse by Prudential was officially launched today in Putrajaya by Datuk Seri Dr. Hj. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health and Mike Wells, Group Chief Executive of Prudential plc. Pulse is an all-in-one digital app and the first-of-its-kind to offer holistic health management to consumers in the region. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered self-help tools and real-time information, Pulse serves as a 24/7 partner to users, empowering them to take control of their personal health and wellbeing anytime, anywhere.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Dzulkefly, said, “Digital technology is revolutionising healthcare delivery and experience. Worldwide, we are seeing how digital tools are leading to better, faster and more accessible healthcare for people. In this respect, I am very pleased that corporate citizens such as Prudential have come forward to support the government in our efforts to transform national healthcare with the launch of a ground-breaking digital tool such as Pulse.

“Pulse is a great example of how the public and private sector can work together to help empower people to be more proactive, preventive and promotive in their approach to healthcare. With instant, reliable and relevant health information at their fingertips, people will be able to make more informed decisions when it comes to managing their own health, particularly in the care of non-communicable diseases.”

Today, Asians are facing the burden of rising healthcare costs and a growing incidence of noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Healthcare consumption in the region is around US$1 trillion a year, with estimates putting Asia’s healthcare protection gap at US$1.8 trillion and Malaysia’s at US$47 billion[1].

Mike Wells said, “For more than 95 years, Prudential has been committed to enhancing the wellbeing of individuals and families across Asia. We are delighted to be launching Pulse, an innovative, region-wide digital health platform, here in Malaysia today and soon after in 10 other markets in the region.

“Pulse marks a step change in health management in Asia by making healthcare more inclusive and accessible. By supporting users in every step of their health and wellness journey, Prudential is going beyond its core business of providing protection and playing a greater role in helping people prevent and postpone the onset of diseases.”

With a holistic approach in supporting the three stages in a person’s health journey – Prevent, Postpone, Protect – Pulse takes healthcare to a new level of engagement with consumers. The goal is to seamlessly integrate personal health checks and management into everyday life by providing users with mobile tools and real-time information that they can access wherever they are, round the clock.

Users of Pulse can enjoy innovative offerings from global and local providers of health services. These include UK-based Babylon (symptom checker and health assessment) and Tictrac (personalised wellness services) and Malaysia-based DoctorOnCall (online consultation) and AIME (dengue outbreak predictor)[2]. All these partners leverage cutting-edge technology to offer complementary services, strengthening Pulse’s position as a wide-ranging platform to meet growing healthcare needs.

Pulse’s AI-powered engine continuously improves its ability to help customers lead healthier and improved lives. Learning from the data it receives and the user interactions with all partners and services, the aim is to ensure that the customer experience not only evolves, it becomes life-changing.

Gan Leong Hin, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, said, “We are proud that Malaysia, being Prudential’s oldest market in Asia, is the first to introduce Pulse, which we believe will revolutionise healthcare in Malaysia. Today, 9 out of 10 Malaysians access the internet on their mobile phones[3] and 71 percent of searches on health-related topics happen on the phone[4]. With these insights, Prudential’s focus is to deliver value-added services that users can engage with anytime, anywhere.

“Pulse is accessible to everyone for free, aligned with Prudential’s ambition and the Malaysian government’s efforts to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all. Pulse is also a testament to our commitment of Listening. Understanding. Delivering. and helping meet the changing needs of consumers in a highly digital, interconnected world.”

Pulse is an evolving platform where Prudential will be adding new partners, tools and value-added services in phases. The app can be downloaded for free by all users on iOS and Android.

Click here for more information.

Notes:

1. Swiss Re Institute. Asia’s Health Protection Gap: Insights for Building Greater Resilience. 2018.

2. Please refer to the Notes to Editors section on page 3 for details on Pulse’s features and partners.

3. Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Internet Users Survey, 2018.

4. Google data.