Abu Dhabi: Individuals availing of healthcare services in Abu Dhabi can now access their entire medical record on a new dedicated platform connected to the emirate’s Health Information Exhange, Malaffi.
The Malaffi Health portal will provide users with convenient and secure access to their centralised medical records through a dedicated website and app, announced the emirate’s health regulator, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH).
Access information
Through the portal, patients will be able to access the latest information related to their doctors’ visits, laboratory results and radiology reports, medications, allergies, conditions, immunisations, discharge summaries, and more.
The DoH unveiled the portal at GITEX Global 2022, in the presence of its chairman, Abdulla Al Hamed, and other key officials.
Connecting facilities
The Health Portal follows the launch of the Malaffi platform in 2019 to connect all health facilities and create a unique medical record for each patient. Its rollout is considered among the fastest Health Information Exchange (HIE) rollouts globally, and it currently connects all hospitals in the emirate, along with 99 per cent of all patient episodes in Abu Dhabi. The portal supports a patient-centric approach that is focused on facilitating better-informed and shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers, the DoH said in a statement.
The Malaffi Health app is available both on Apple Store and Google Play, whereas there is a dedicated website online. Patients will have to securely log in with a verified UAE Pass account, or with their email address after verifying personal information.
Empowering patients
“Malaffi is a key pillar of Abu Dhabi’s pioneering digital healthcare ecosystem which continues to extend in-depth healthcare value and patient-centric services to our population. The launch of the Malaffi Health portal is a milestone designed to actively engage patients by connecting them with their medical records. DoH continues to focus its efforts to cement the emirate’s position as a leading destination for innovation and healthcare globally. We remain committed to creating a robust and agile healthcare ecosystem while serving as a blueprint for countries across the region and the world,” said Dr Jamal Al Kaabi, DoH undersecretary.
“The benefits of HIEs are endless and Malaffi as a platform is designed to provide value to the entire healthcare ecosystem and transform the way healthcare is delivered. The portal is the next logical step to support DoH’s ambition to unlock the best quality healthcare through digital transformation, following global trends and meeting patients’ expectations to have improved and more convenient ways to manage their health as they manage other aspects of their lives,” added Robert Denson, acting CEO at Malaffi.
“As an HIE organisation, we have been thrilled to receive the valuable support from the regulator of the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi, DoH, and the healthcare community to achieve our globally recognised efforts. We look forward to introducing more new features and digital health solutions for patients, providers and governments to elevate the healthcare journey in Abu Dhabi and beyond,” Denson said.
Increasing patient engagement
Studies show that most patients forget up to 80 per cent of clinicians’ instructions when they leave a clinical setting, which means that secure access to this information online will empower people to be active participants in their own healthcare. The new portal will thus encourage patients to be more engaged in managing their health, and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship by enabling more meaningful conversations towards better health outcomes. This is particularly important for those that suffer from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart diseases and pay frequent visits to different doctors.
In fact, a new YouGov survey showed that 85 per cent of Abu Dhabi residents believe that having online access to their medical records will help them manage their health better, and 78 per cent said they are likely to use the Malaffi Health.
DoH is participating at GITEX Global 2022 to showcase its digital healthcare model, including projects based on robotic innovations and artificial intelligence.
