Electronic medical record system now live in UAE

Dubai - So far more than 1.4 million DHA patient medical records and more than 12 million transactions have been transferred to the Salama system

Salama, the Dubai Health Authority's (DHA) unified electronic medical record system, is now live in Rashid Hospital, Barsha Health Center, Airport Medical Center, Dermatology Center and Dubai Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Center.
Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the DHA visited Rashid Hospital and Barsha Health Center on Friday to oversee the launch of Salama, a DHA-wide project that aims to centralise access to records for patients and doctors through the new portal across DHA, facilities.
So far more than 1.4 million DHA patient medical records and more than 12 million transactions have been transferred to the Salama system. To ensure the smooth transition to the new electronic system, patients are requested to provide their Emirates ID, medical card and health insurance.
Amani Al Jassmi, Director of Information Technology at the DHA said in the second phase-in August- Salama will be implemented in Dubai Hospital, Dubai Diabetes Center and all Primary Health Care Centers. While In the third phase in November Salama will be implemented in Latifa Hospital, Hatta Hospital, Thalassemia Center, Dubai Gynecology and Fertility Center and all DHA Medical Fitness Centers.
"[The system] integrates 25 applications through a single interface. Now the patient's appointment, queue management, radiology, pharmacy, laboratory information system, dental records, information about the patient on biomedical devices such as dialysis machine, ventilator, cardiac machine etc., will all be integrated through the EMR," Al Jasmi said.
She said that unifying records would help create a more streamlined and better healthcare delivery system that would ensure patient safety and accuracy.
She added that 11,000 DHA employees will be trained to use Salama. While the 60 employees who have worked on implementing Salama have been trained in the UAE and in the US by the international company EPIC.
After the phases are over, Salama will integrate with "Nabid" the electronic health record, EHR, a national electronic medical record system. In two years, every resident will have one integrated medical record in the UAE.
During his visit on Friday, Al Qatami oversaw the first Salama registration of patients, stressing that patients will only have to register one time during their first visit to benefit from Salama.
Following the completion of the registration process, patients registered in these centres will have one integrated medical file across all facilities that will help the doctor follow a treatment protocol in the event of a hospital transfer and to ensure homogenous treatment.
Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office, said the Salama project will bolster effective doctor-patient communication and will facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive database that economises time and effort, all the while providing sufficient medical information about patients. This strengthens the overall infrastructure of the health sector in Dubai and will eventually lead to ensuring customer satisfaction and achieving sustainable development.
While Salama integrates medical records electronically in DHA-run healthcare facilities, it is just steps away from facilitating a national unified electronic medical record, Al Jasmi said.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com