The new Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has taken over responsibility for all strategic health planning and statistics collection. The duties, previously performed by the Department of Health and Medical Services, include registering patient details for Dubai's new health-funding system. Qadhi al Murooshid, director general of the DHA, said: "Creating an effective health strategy, which leads to better access and to better care, requires access to good health statistics and information so we can plan for the future.
"The Dubai Health Authority is committed to putting into place suitable data governance arrangements. "The DHA aspires to build a best-practice health system for Dubai utilising experience from other health care authorities from around the world." That plan would include systems such as electronic medical records and a healthcare funding process. At its inception, the DHA announced plans for comprehensive healthcare coverage for everyone in Dubai. That would require employers or sponsors to pay a set amount every year for each employee.
Everyone would then register with outpatient clinics, which would receive payments from a central clearing house for each patient. The aim is to put more emphasis on doctors working in clinics rather than walk-in centres at hospitals. The DHA wants to encourage people to develop relationships with family doctors, rather than visit hospitals, or a number of different doctors, with minor ailments.
The DHA will not access individual patient records, Mr Murooshid said. The DHA appointed Dr Peyvand Khaleghian to head the new strategy and innovation department. He will analyse trends, issues and statistical data. Laila al Jassmi will head the health-funding programme, which is due to be launched at the start of next year. @Email:munderwood@thenational.ae
