The Ministry of Health and Prevention “MOHAP” announced the exploitation of AI technologies to reduce waiting time in emergency departments with a view to managing the operational processes of hospitals by using the smart healthcare operation centre “PaCE”. The announcement comes within the context of a package of innovative projects MOHAP will showcase at Arab Health 2019 during the period from 28 – 31 January.
PaCE centre will help improve the efficiency of the operational processes and focus on the management of patient flows to the emergency units at different times of peak hours along with maintaining the productivity, safety, quality and management of waiting time by using AI to analyze the massive data and predictive modelling for the management of healthcare facilities in order to follow-up the clinical and healthcare services at hospitals.
Furthermore, PaCE will contribute to monitoring patients in the new born and adults’ intensive care units (ICUs) through the wall of analytics which contains high-quality cameras connected to patient monitoring devices to send both audio and visual alarms in emergency cases.
Prediction of Patient Flows
H.E. Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Ministry’s Hospitals Sector, said that the adoption of AI in the emergency departments, aiming to lessen waiting times and predict patient flows through the use of PaCE, falls under MOHAP’s strategy in providing comprehensive and innovative healthcare services with international standards and developing the healthcare information systems.
“Also, this new innovation is part of the ministry’s programmes to incorporate AI completely in healthcare services to be in line with UAE Artificial Intelligence Strategy which is considered one of the pioneering projects of UAE Centennial 2017 that aims to place UAE as one of the best countries in the healthcare field,” Dr. Al-Serkal added.
Future Researches and Decision Making
Dr. Al-Serkal shed the light on the ministry’s success to update PaCE system which currently provides much more accurate and complete data in real time at all ministry’s hospitals in a very innovative way with focus on the immediate access for data and information efficiently and effectively. Moreover, PaCE will be used as source of data, information and conducting development and clinical future researches as well as decision making.
Healthcare Digitization and Prediction of the Outcomes
Dr. Kalthoum Al Baloushi, Director of Hospitals Administration, said that PaCE operation centre is fully equipped with the latest electronic devices and specialized cameras in monitoring remotely patients’ health and providing qualified medical and technical staff to deal with the critical cases in ICUs. The programme has been designed to help the medical and nursing staff in the control room to easily and safely access patients’ data in ICUs and in accordance with highest levels of secrecy. That will contribute to identifying any complications that might happen to the patient prior to its occurrence and prevent its aggravation, consequently reducing the medical errors down to its complete prevention.
She also stressed the importance of MOHAP’s adoption of AI and massive data analysis and implementation of computing in PaCE’s management, the matter that leads to the digitization of healthcare and prediction of the outcomes in order to adopt proactive approaches to improve the operational efficiency of healthcare facilities, including patients’ flow prediction, recycling of human and financial resources as well as medical and nursing specialties when required, which ultimately benefited the improvement and strengthening of patients’ care.