The current state of Dubai’s healthcare digital transformation journey

2023-10-27

In recent years, the emirate of Dubai has undergone a remarkable digital transformation journey, aiming to revolutionise crucial service sectors including healthcare. This dynamic shift towards embracing cutting-edge digital technologies in the industry is just one of the many areas expected to be explored at the upcoming 6th edition of the GCC eHealth Workforce Development Conference (eHWDC 2023) . Organised by the GCC Taskforce on Workforce Development in Digital Healthcare (ZIMAM) and MWAN Events, the conference is scheduled to take place between 31 October and 2 November 2023 at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Prominent speakers set to appear include Dr. Farida Al Hosani, official spokesperson for the healthcare sector in the UAE 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 the Dubai Health Authority (DHA); Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Center at DoH Abu Dhabi; Dr. Sara AlShaya, Director at Emirates Health Services (EHS); Rizwan Tufail, Chief Data Officer at Pure Health; and Shadab Khan, Director of Applied Science at G42 Healthcare. They’ll be delving into session topics including updates on the region’s health information exchange (HIE) platforms, healthcare governance, digital health maturity models, the Emirati Genome Program, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, analytics, population health, and others. DIGITAL HEALTHCARE 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 enhance the overall quality of life of its residents. Focusing on the UAE’s second-largest city, the DHA stands as a key government entity at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the emirate’s healthcare sector. With ambitious goals to firmly establish the territory as a leading global smart city and innovation hub, the DHA embarked on its digital transformation journey starting in 2014. Today, this journey continues. In a new statement released by the Dubai Media Office, the DHA “steadfastly continues its commitment to smart transformation, channelling these efforts into the evolution of the healthcare system within the emirate. “This evolution is achieved through the provision of smart services, digital platforms, and applications that align with the ever-changing landscape, streamlining processes, conserving time and effort, and ultimately, delivering top-tier services while fostering community awareness and engagement.” Per new data released, the DHA now claims a 98.55% digital completion rate of processes; a 98.91% completion of automation of internal processes; a 93.42% digital adoption rate, and a 100% smart remote inspection rate. A LOOK AT DUBAI’s DIGITAL PROJECTS Those familiar with Dubai’s health information exchange (HIE) will recognise NABIDH, a platform dedicated to the exchange of healthcare information amongst licensed public and private facilities in the emirate. With a repository of 7.8 million unified medical files and over 352 million exchanged messages since its launch in October 2020, NABIDH has without a doubt been a cornerstone in facilitating efficient healthcare data management. Another project the DHA is spearheading is Sheryan, a system designed to enhance healthcare facility services and professional licensing in alignment with the regulations laid out by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP). Automated since 2019, Sheryan has gone on to successfully handle more than 4 million transactions up to the first half of 2023. With 85,000 registered health professionals in Dubai, and 76,000 professionals having applied for electronic exams, the platform has also audited the certificates of an approximate 116,000 professionals, thereby increasing efficiency in the emirate’s licensing and registration processes. The recent pandemic, meanwhile, highlighted the need for more smart projects dedicated to disease management, with the DHA upgrading its public health surveillance system, HASANA. Using records from both public and private healthcare facilities, HASANA comprises a unified immunisation record for every patient citywide. It also provides early warning capabilities for timely disease outbreak detection by collecting and analysing disease data, laboratory reports, hospitalisation records, and other relevant indicators. As of now, the system serves over 15.8 million individuals in the emirate. With the rise of AI and more nationwide initiatives to improve public health, the DHA is expected to make more announcements in the coming months pertaining to digital health, health technology, and value-based healthcare. In the meantime, find out more about Dubai’s digital transformation journey along with those in other regions in the Middle East and North Africa at eHWDC 2023. Register to attend by visiting gccehealth.org