The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) – the government organisation overseeing the emirate’s health system – has reportedly upgraded its Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to improve its digital experience.

As reported by the UAE’s official government news agency, WAM, the EMR – known as “Salama” – has been updated to “ensure that patients visiting DHA hospitals have access to [the] maximum number of healthcare services digitally, and to enhance patient experience through the DHA app.”

It currently has more than five million patient medical records on file.

THE LARGER CONTEXT

According to the DHA, Salama connects its hospitals, primary healthcare centres, specialty centres, medical fitness centres, and a number of private facilities dedicated to dialysis, and physiotherapy and rehabilitation. The EMR covers all of DHA’s core functions that includes administration, labs, radiology, cardiology, and emergency services.

WHY IT MATTERS

Salama has reportedly been upgraded to allow patients to access their own records from home via the DHA portal or mobile application. Data available to patients now include upcoming appointments, prescriptions and medications, and clinical results.

The updated EMR also apparently allows for more seamless use of DHA’s telehealth offerings, WAM stated.

ON THE RECORD

“The [Salama] project has been upgraded and supported with the best technologies, in order to keep pace with current and future requirements and provide integrated systems that better serve doctors and patients of DHA health facilities,” said Kleitham Al Shamsi, director of Information Technology at the DHA.

Al Shamsi added that “the service provides [the] highest level of data privacy and security.”