Abu Dhabi public health provider Seha provides 400,000 teleconsultations since April 2020

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company has successfully conducted over 400,000 teleconsultations since the launch of its virtual outpatient clinic last year.

In a statement, Abu Dhabi’s public health provider said it has also delivered 450,000 telemedicine prescriptions through the Telemedicine Virtual Outpatient Clinic service since April 2020. The service is now a permanent Seha offering to enhance patient experience and accommodate additional patients, and also includes video consultations.

The 400,000 consultations provided account for nine per cent of Seha’s total outpatient consultations since April 2020, whereas the telemedicine prescriptions accounts for 10 per cent of all outpatient prescriptions.

Digital engagement tools

“Since the launch of our virtual consultations, we saw digital engagement tools emerge as a popular method for patients to manage their health. Over the past year, we are proud of the platform’s success in ensuring the continuation of care without interruption and connecting patients, doctors and health care providers ever more seamlessly,” said Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, acting group chief operations officer at Seha.

Dr Al Kaabi said Seha had recorded an 83 per cent satisfaction rate for its virtual services. “In the UAE, the population is predominantly younger and very much ‘switched on’ with multiple smart devices per household. These factors allowed the acceptance and uptake of telemedicine to rapidly spike, providing patients access to care from the safety of their homes while helping maintain social distancing,” Dr Asma Abdulla Al Marzouqi, division chief for paediatric medical affairs at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, a Seha facility.