Single patient record to boost health care

Abu Dhabi: A new health information exchange will soon create a single record for patients that will be shared across health care facilities in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health announced on Sunday.

To that end, the Department, which regulates health care in the emirate, on Sunday signed an agreement with Injazat Data Systems to develop a health information exchange (HIE) system for Abu Dhabi.

Injazat is an IT services provider under Abu Dhabi Government owned-investment firm, Mubadala. It will work closely with the Department to design, build and operate an emirate-wide system that will connect more than 2,000 health care providers that serve more than three million people.

When created, the single patient record will allow clinicians real-time visibility into the patient’s history and care, and enable them to make informed decisions. The system is also expected to reduce the number of patients who are re-hospitalised, as well as do away with the need for unnecessary testing and imaging, said Shaikh Abdullah Al Hamed, chairman at the Department.