Abu Dhabi residents will soon be able to access their own medical records via a smartphone app. 

The app, which will be launched later this year, forms part of the Middle East’s first unified Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform, Malaffi.

It will allow patients to access their medical history, test results and key information about their treatment and medication.

The Malaffi platform is available to more than 15,000 care providers and contains the clinical records of 3 million patients in Abu Dhabi. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) officials hope the app will improve health in the region by encouraging patients to take a more proactive approach to managing their own healthcare, supporting prevention and increasing health awareness.

A recent poll conducted by YouGov found that 88% of Abu Dhabi residents are interested in downloading the app.

THE LARGER CONTEXT 

Malaffi, which stands for “My file” in Arabic, became operational at the end of July 2019, following a contract between Abu Dhabi Health Data Services (ADHDS) and New Zealand technology solutions supplier Orion Health.

ADHDS was set up as a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Abu Dhabi DoH and Injazat Data Systems, which is a subsidiary of the Mubadala global investment company. 

Clinicians at four health care providers have access to Malaffi, including the Abu Dhabi Health Services company (SEHA) which owns all public hospitals and clinics in the capital. It is also being used at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Danat El Emarat and Oasis hospital. Te HIE platform is aimed to eventually connect 2,000 public and private healthcare providers. 

Meanwhile, Emirati startup Meddy recently raised $2.5 million in Series A funding to expand its doctor search and booking platform to Abu Dhabi and other emirates.      

ON THE RECORD 

Atif Al Braiki, CEO of Malaffi, said: “We believe that the way to overcome today’s considerable healthcare challenges – particularly in this brave new, digital world – is to develop more advanced and accessible approaches to healthcare delivery. 

“We are extremely proud of the strides we have made so far and remain committed to creating a healthier Abu Dhabi – as exemplified by our Malaffi patient app.”

H.E Mohammed Hamad Al Hameli, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi DoH, said: “DoH continues to work in unison with strategic partners in the healthcare sector to set the stage for a future driven by healthcare technology, innovation and artificial intelligence, all in the name of enhancing the quality of Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector. 

“As such, Malaffi is an example of the critical role of technology in transforming the patient experience and empowering residents to monitor and manage their medical care.”