AI-based risk scoring drives surgical efficiency at Emirates Health Services

With an aging population and healthcare systems worldwide under pressure, there is an urgent need to improve healthcare efficiency. The healthcare sector has been undergoing digitalization for decades, with an emphasis on data capture, and is now beginning to derive insights from the data collected.

For example, hospitals are already using algorithms to reduce the number of no-shows in outpatient care. And research is underway on how generative AI can reduce the burden of medical coding, prioritize patients based on the severity of their needs, and more.

Much of the data collection and optimization focuses on non-clinical data to improve operational efficiency. However, implementing quality measures could improve healthcare delivery. In the UAE, Emirates Health Services (EHS) has pioneered efforts to use AI to assess surgeons’ performance. Results based on 14 indicators are continuously updated on a dashboard accessible to managers and surgeons. The project, called SurgiSense, is a benchmarking tool that compares three domains: structure, process and results.

Why it matters

“As part of the process, we are building a culture of transparency,” explains Dr. Sara AlShaya, director of the Data and Statistics Department (DSD) at EHS. “We do not want to label surgeons as good or bad, but want to support them in their professional development. The end goal is good service.”

This AI-driven project helped assess a surgeon’s commitment to participating in continuing education programs, research activities, quality improvement initiatives, and adhering to professional standards. The developed metrics also include patient safety metrics that facilitate the evaluation of a surgeon’s adherence to evidence-based guidelines and best practices and assess quality of care.

Other AI projects at EHS

Assessing surgical performance is just one of the projects that EHS’ DHD carries out. Under AlShaya’s leadership, the department has also designed or used analytics for:

• an advanced, analytics-based clinical program for diabetes management
• using AI to predict no-show appointments and improve doctors’ time management
• predicting a hospital admission to the emergency department
• the use of AI to predict the risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality in intensive care
• implementing AI to predict antimicrobial consumption and days of therapy as part of an antimicrobial stewardship initiative
• developing data-driven approaches for the management of childhood obesity
• creating sustainable AI solutions for climate change management
• running customer intelligence programs using AI-driven sentiment analysis of patient feedback, and setting up an EHS intelligence platform with smart data hubs and self-analytic apps for cross-functional intelligence
• implementing a smart intelligence platform for research behavior at EHS.

Future expectations

The SurgiSense project is still in its early stages. In June, all data and feedback from surgeons will be analyzed to determine which decisions were influenced by the dashboard. This analysis will be followed by improvements in planning.

Dr. Sara AlShaya, Director of Emirates Health Services (EHS) Data and Statistics Department, will speak at the Telehealth Masterclass at the HIMSS European Health Conference & Exhibition 2024, scheduled for May 29-31, 2024 in Rome. More information and registration.