Dubai Health showcases Digital Health Solutions at GITEX GLOBAL 2024
Dubai Health showcased its latest advancements in healthcare technology and innovation at GITEX, the biggest tech and startup show in the world. This year’s event theme centers on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors, with a particular focus on AI in health.
Teaming up with the Dubai Digital pavilion, Dubai Health is offering visitors a 20-minute journey that showcases how the integrated academic health system’s latest technological solutions are enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.
One of the key highlights of Dubai Health’s exhibit is the use of virtual reality (VR) technology at its Thalassemia Center, a solution currently being studied by Dubai Health’s Innovation and Digital Health team. This study aims to alleviate anxiety and pain during cannulation procedures. Patients wear VR headsets, immersing them in a therapeutic 3D environment designed to enhance comfort and overall experience during the procedure. This innovative, first-of-its-kind approach has the potential to transform the experience for patients, aligning with Dubai Health’s objective to elevate the standard of care and its vision to advance health for humanity.
In addition, Dubai Health’s Innovation and Digital Health team is also conducting a validation study on wearable ambulatory blood pressure monitoring technology using a smartwatch. The study evaluates the accuracy and effectiveness of this technology in delivering continuous blood pressure measurements, presenting a more convenient alternative to traditional methods. These initiatives underscore Dubai Health's ongoing efforts to incorporate advanced technology into healthcare to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare delivery.
Another project on display is the Ambient Clinical Documentation Solution, a tool designed to enhance clinical documentation efficiency by leveraging Generative AI. This solution enables clinicians to verbally document patient encounters, significantly reducing the time required for documentation. This allows clinicians to spend more time and provide better experience to our patients. The voice notes are processed by an AI-driven system that generates specialty-specific clinical notes, which clinicians then review and sign.
Atif Al Braiki, Chief Digital and AI Officer at Dubai Health, commented, “Our participation in GITEX 2024 underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to transform healthcare delivery. By integrating AI and other advanced technologies in our day-to-day care, we are proud to be showcasing how we are constantly adapting to enhance patient outcomes, streamline operations, and set new standards in healthcare innovation. In line with our commitment to healthcare excellence, integrating these technologies will help us to realize our vision of advancing health for humanity.”
Dubai Health’s presence at GITEX 2024, being held at the Dubai World Centre, is a testament to its dedication to remaining at the forefront of the technological healthcare revolution, harnessing innovations to put the patient first.
Dubai Health Explores Virtual Reality to Reduce Pain and Anxiety in Medical Procedures
Dubai Health, the first integrated academic health system in Dubai, is embracing virtual reality (VR) technology to improve patient care across its hospitals and healthcare centers. This initiative kicks off with a study and implementation program at the Thalassemia Center, exploring the use of VR technology to reduce anxiety and pain during cannulation (needle insertion) procedures for thalassemia patients. This study, the first of its kind for this specific patient group in Dubai, holds promise for a more comfortable and positive healthcare experience.
Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), which leads the Learning and Discovery missions of Dubai Health, will conduct and document the study. Unlike prior studies that primarily relied on subjective experiences, this novel approach will incorporate objective measurements such as eye movement tracking and heart rate to assess the effectiveness of VR technology, marking a significant advancement in medical discovery.
Dr. Fatheya Abbas Al Khaja, Director of the Thalassemia Center, expressed her profound optimism for the initiative, stating, “The application of VR technology at the Thalassemia Center has the potential to transform the experience for patients undergoing cannulation procedures. Throughout my years at the Thalassemia Center, we have explored numerous modalities to alleviate the pain of our patients. This program epitomizes our Patient First promise to provide a more comfortable and anxiety-free experience, not just for the patients, but also for their families who witness this process. We are eagerly anticipating the results of this study.”
Separate from the MBRU study, the selected VR technology had been tested extensively. It demonstrated clinically effective results in 14 published and 30 ongoing studies, providing a solid foundation for its use in improving patient experiences.
This program marks the first phase of integrating VR technology across Dubai Health hospitals and healthcare centers, with plans to extend its application into medical procedures at Al Jalila Children's Hospital and Latifa Hospital. Beyond immediate application at the Thalassemia Center, the program also focuses on developing novel VR environments and experiences tailored to the local needs of patients in Dubai. The long-term vision is to develop future iterations of AI-powered VR technology to further personalize the patient experience, a collaborative effort engaging both MBRU students and our clinical staff.
“This program is the first of many to showcase how digital solutions can improve patient care within Dubai Health,” remarked Dr. Yacine Hadijat, Associate Professor of Innovation in Health Science and Digital Health at MBRU’s College of Medicine. “One of the inherent advantages of our integrated academic health system is the ability to cultivate a continuous cycle of improvement within our care, learning and discovery missions. By exploring digital innovations, such as VR technology, we are simultaneously training future healthcare professionals to champion patient-centered care and contribute toward the medical discovery of tech-enabled healthcare solutions. This multifaceted approach holds immense promise to transform the patient journey for countless individuals.”
By spearheading such initiatives, Dubai Health remains at the forefront of healthcare innovation, reaffirming its commitment to delivering patient-centered care and advancing the standard of medical excellence in the region.