Dial a doctor: Why more Dubai residents are opting for telemedicine, remote diagnosis in emirate

Dial a doctor: Why more Dubai residents are opting for telemedicine, remote diagnosis in emirate

Telehealth services up by 24%; how virtual consultations have evolved from fax to app

Published: Thu 27 Apr 2023, 6:00 AM

Health facilities in Dubai provided more than 300,000 telemedicine consultations in 2022, Khaleej Times can reveal. Statistics released by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have shown that telehealth services registered an increase of 24 per cent in the emirate last year as compared to 2021.

Telehealth or telemedicine services are those offered without a patient visiting a clinic or hospital. Check-ups and medical prescriptions are done via laptops or phones.

Dr Marwan Al Mulla, CEO of the Health Regulation Sector at the DHA, said telehealth services can be provided for consultation, remote diagnosis, remote monitoring, providing and dispensing medical prescriptions, as well as patient follow-up services.

According to the DHA, the satisfaction rate of customers using telehealth services reached 92 per cent. Telemedicine service providers registered a 96 per cent satisfaction rate.

Dr Marwan said 129 facilities offer telemedicine services in Dubai. These vary from standalone centres to health facilities providing telemedicine as an add-on service.

The DHA has a telemedicine regulatory framework which is a “comprehensive set of protocols and processes any telemedicine provider has to abide by.” Providers must ensure confidentiality and data preservation