The current state of Dubai’s healthcare digital transformation journey
In recent years, the emirate of Dubai has undergone a remarkable digital transformation, aiming to revolutionize crucial service sectors, including healthcare.
This dynamic shift towards embracing cutting-edge digital technologies in the industry is just one of many areas expected to be explored during the upcoming sixth edition of the GCC eHealth Workforce Development Conference (eHWDC 2023).
The conference, organized by the GCC Taskforce on Workforce Development in Digital Healthcare (ZIMAM) and MWAN Events, will take place between October 31 and November 2, 2023 at Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
Prominent speakers set to appear including Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the UAE healthcare sector and manager of communicable diseases at the Abu Dhabi Center of Public Health; Dr. Mohammad Abdulqader Al Redha, Director of Health Informatics and Smart Health at Dubai Health Authority (DHA); Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of DoH Abu Dhabi Research and Innovation Centre; Dr. Sara AlShaya, Director at Emirates Health Services (EHS); Rizwan Tufail, Chief Data Officer at Pure Health; and Shadab Khan, director of applied sciences at G42 Healthcare.
They will delve into session topics including updates on health information exchange (HIE) platforms, healthcare management, healthcare digital maturity models, the Emirati Genome Program, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, analytics, public health and others.
DIGITAL HEALTH IN DUBAI
In the GCC, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the countries leading the way in pursuing innovative solutions with the mission to improve the overall quality of life of its citizens.
Focusing on the UAE’s second largest city, the DHA serves as a key government agency at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the emirate’s healthcare sector.
With ambitious goals to firmly establish the area as a leading global smart city and innovation centre, the DHA began its journey towards digital transformation in 2014.
Today this journey continues.
In a new statement from the Dubai Media Office, the DHA “continues steadfastly in its commitment to smart transformation, channeling these efforts into the evolution of the healthcare system within the emirate.
“This evolution is achieved by offering smart services, digital platforms and applications that align with the ever-changing landscape, streamline processes, save time and effort and ultimately deliver best-in-class services while promoting community awareness and engagement.”
According to newly released data, the DHA now claims a digital completion rate of 98.55%; a 98.91% completion of internal process automation; a digital adoption rate of 93.42% and a smart remote inspection rate of 100%.
A LOOK AT DUBAI’S DIGITAL PROJECTS
Those familiar with Dubai’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) will recognize NABIDH, a platform dedicated to the exchange of healthcare information between recognized public and private institutions in the emirate.
With a repository of 7.8 million unified health records and over 352 million messages exchanged since its launch in October 2020, NABIDH has undoubtedly been a cornerstone in facilitating efficient healthcare data management.
Another project that the DHA leads is Sheryan, a system designed to improve the services of healthcare institutions and professional licenses in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).
Sheryan has been automated since 2019 and has successfully processed over 4 million transactions through the first half of 2023. With 85,000 registered healthcare professionals in Dubai and 76,000 professionals registered for electronic exams, the platform has also verified the certificates of an approximately 116,000 professionals, increasing efficiency in the emirate’s licensing and registration processes.
The recent pandemic, meanwhile, has highlighted the need for more smart projects focused on disease management, with the DHA upgrading its public health surveillance system, HASANA.
Using data from both public and private healthcare facilities, HASANA has a uniform immunization record for every patient across the city. It also provides early warning capabilities for timely detection of disease outbreaks by collecting and analyzing disease data, laboratory reports, hospitalization data and other relevant indicators.
Currently, the system serves more than 15.8 million people in the emirate.
With the rise of AI and more nationwide initiatives to improve public health, the DHA is expected to make more announcements related to digital health, health technology and value-based healthcare in the coming months. In the meantime, find out more about Dubai’s digital transformation and that of other regions in the Middle East and North Africa at eHWDC 2023. Register to attend by visiting gccehealth.org