Abu Dhabi: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) has been ranked the top smart hospital in the UAE, and amongst the top 100 hospitals globally by Newsweek.
“This international recognition of CCAD affirms our position as the number-one hospital in the UAE and one of the best in the world. It is an affirmation of our impact on our community and patients locally and globally. State-of-the-art medical technology is part of the future of medicine and is, in many ways, synonymous with both CCAD and world-class patient care. Tools such as our da Vinci robotic surgical system, an integrated electronic medical record, and imaging system equipped with artificial intelligence, help us perform delicate, complex procedures and tests more efficiently, and with minimal risk to our patients, ultimately resulting in the best possible outcomes,’ said Dr Jorge Guzman, chief executive officer at CCAD.
A total of 300 hospitals from 28 different countries were ranked on their use of digital technology in rethinking patient care, based on feedback from thousands of hospital administrators and medical professionals from around the globe. The hospitals were evaluated in five categories: electronic functionality, telemedicine, digital imaging, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
One of many technological game-changers at CCAD is the da Vinci™ surgical system, which consists of a 3D camera and four robotic arms with surgical tools attached. It helps surgeons perform even more intricate, delicate, and complex procedures through very small incisions. The surgeon operates by controlling the arms from a computer console using hand and foot inputs, while watching a real-time, magnified, high-definition image of the surgical area on a screen. This surgical method ensures shorter recovery time, fewer complications, smaller scars, less blood loss, and less pain for the patient.
CCAD also uses a cutting-edge artificial intelligence system called Transpara as part of breast cancer screening. It uses a sophisticated algorithm that gives radiologists immediate, objective feedback on areas of suspicion identified on a mammogram. This increases the accuracy of cancer detection, accelerates treatment decisions, and ultimately helps more women survive breast cancer. Transpara is life-changing for cancer patients, as it sees details that most specialized radiologists cannot, and makes analysing imaging much faster than it was even a few years ago. Transpara is just one of many incredible innovations CCAD will be using to treat cancer at its new Cancer Centre later this year.
An electronic medical record (EMR) system that CCAD uses, enables quick access to patient records for more coordinated, efficient care, while securely sharing electronic information with other members of a patient’s treatment team. There are huge benefits to EMRs:
Caregivers have better medical and treatment histories and can access a patient’s chart from anywhere in the hospital using a unique patient identifier. This gives physicians access to complete information, saves time on data gathering, decreases waiting time, and ultimately helps them diagnose and treat patients more efficiently and safely.
CCAD also uses an advanced in-house automated pharmacy system that enables a streamlined, faster workflow while reducing medication errors—one of the most common safety issues in healthcare. Rather than sending a handwritten prescription to the pharmacy, which is still the norm in many hospitals, prescribers send prescriptions digitally. Everything is linked to the same barcode on the patient’s hospital wristband.
This is the second edition of the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list compiled by Newsweek and Statista Inc. The ranking process was based on three steps: An international online survey of hospital managers and health care professionals who recommended leading smart hospitals across the globe; an international survey of chief digital transformation/information officers and senior managers who assessed hospitals’ digital technologies; and desk research for every nominated hospital.
