The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, organized the 5th ‘Regional Conference on Best Practice in the Application of International Standards and Quality and Patient Safety Standards’, as part of MoHAP’s efforts to enhance the exchange of experiences and success stories among the participating hospitals.
With the participation of more than 250 decision-makers, specialists, professionals, experts and speakers in the field of international accreditation and health quality and patient safety, and other members of the health team such as pharmacists and technicians from inside and outside the country, the event aims to improve the quality of health services, reduce medical errors, enhance patient safety, and elevate the productivity of health facilities.
Also, the conference was attended by a number of MoHAP senior officials, directors of departments, and Dr. Zakaria Al-Attal, Director of Clinical Quality and Health Accreditation, and participants from various health institutions in the country such as the Dubai Health Authority, Abu Dhabi Health Department, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Abu Dhabi Health Services (SEHA), Dubai Healthcare City Authority and private sector hospitals.
A variety of panel discussions, research studies, working papers have tackled relevant topics including; quality, improving clinical standards, reducing regulatory risks, controlling infection, keeping abreast of the latest medical technology and data-driven medical practices, patient-centered care systems, patient rights policies and legislation, and interdisciplinary participatory efforts.
A Qualitative Leap in the Quality and Sustainability of Healthcare
Commenting on the importance of the conference, HE Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Ministry’s Hospitals Sector, said that the conference is featuring a broad participation of experts and specialists who will share their expertise in the application of quality programs and statistical tools to health care organizations, and utilization of smart technologies and artificial intelligence and its applications to serve the interest of patient safety.
The conference will also shed light on the challenges facing infection control programs, laboratory accreditation programs, and the optimal solutions to such challenges.
In addition, conference sessions will highlight the best practices in enhancing the role of patients and their families in implementing the treatment plan, so as to foster quality and patient safety, in addition to improving patient’s experience in health facilities and best practices in the provision of interdisciplinary care.
“MoHAP is adopting the institutional and medical governance as part of its strategy to build quality systems, therapeutic, health, and pharmaceutical safety as per international standards and due to the importance of quality and patient safety in the constant development of the health sector, hence the need to make a quantum leap in the healthcare sustainability. It’s so obvious that the more healthcare institutions commit to the continuous health quality, the higher the patient's satisfaction they will get,” he noted.
Reinforcing the Health Sector Quality Promotes Medical Tourism
He added: “For the fifth consecutive year, the UAE is topping the countries in terms of the number of the JCI’s accredited health facilities, which prominently boosts the local and international confidence in the efficacy and quality of the UAE’s health sector, thereby promoting medical tourism.”
Al Serkal further said: “The UAE is a successful and inspiring model, thanks to its exceptional experience as an incubator of quality and innovation, as well as it attracts the medical competencies and represents a center of attraction to invest in quality.”
He emphasized that MoHAP’s efforts to improve the clinical care quality in accordance with best international standards to achieve the national indicator outcomes relating to the rate of health facilities eligible for international accreditation as per the National Agenda objectives 2021.
“About 52 health facilities have received the JCI accreditation, the latest of which was MoHAP hospital’s network in Ras Al Khaimah, which obtained the accreditation all at once, in a first-of-its-kind achievement in the Middle East. In parallel, a detailed program has been developed to help the remaining hospitals and health centers to get accredited as per the approved schedule. This is part of MoHAP’s endeavors to enhance the healthcare level by developing medical policies and protocols in accordance with the best practices and JCI’s standards,” Al Serkal elaborated.
Implementing Clinical Governance Promotes Quality Standards
“The recently launched Clinical Governance system will help advance the performance quality, overall policies, protocols, and clinical work systems enable the medical team to rely on the latest strategies to develop the clinical work, and improve treatment according to evidence-based international practices. The work is underway at the Hospitals Sector to set central guidelines principles to standardize clinical practice and measure and monitor a number of the key guidance performance indicators,” he concluded.
Successful Experiences in Compliance with Accreditation Standards
Dr. Zakaria Al-Attal, Director of Clinical Quality and Health Accreditation, said: “The fifth edition of the conference is seeing positive outcomes in terms of sharing and reviewing successful experiences and fostering quality practices in the healthcare to ensure that healthcare providers fully comply with international standards.”
Al-Attal shed light on the international prerequisites of the health accreditation institutions, most notably, occupational health and safety programs, information management and data security, evidence-based tools to enhance patient experience and rights, integrate technology, patient empowerment, reduce hospital infection, medical errors and integrated risk assessment strategy (facility and safety management - infection control - risk management).