Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and its health insurance regulatory body have launched a “first-of-its-kind” digital-led programme that is expected to form the foundation for value-based healthcare adoption in the emirate, it has been announced.

Unveiled by Dubai Health Insurance Corporation’s (DHIC) CEO, Saleh Al Hashimi, EJADAH will reportedly “help improve government oversight of the health sector by overseeing clinical, economic and human-centric outcomes.”

He said: “The model is driven by quality outcomes; it will put health consumers at the centre of the model, focus on preventive care, and reduce healthcare expenditure thus leading to healthcare sustainability.”

The analytics-based platform is expected to monitor and assess a number of key performance indicators that the DHA says will “lead to faster claim approvals, minimise waste of healthcare expenditure, and focus on preventive care.”

WHY IT MATTERS

According to DHA director-general, Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, the authority is “implementing policies and regulations to further accelerate the development of the health sector,” with “patient centricity” as priority.

Working “with a common vision to advance the health sector in Dubai and to establish the emirate as a medical tourism hub,” Al Ketbi added that the “value-based model will further improve health services and enhance preventive care which will lead to better population health and reduced healthcare expenditure.”

ON THE RECORD

Dr. Mohamed Farghaly, consultant for the DHIC and EJADAH project lead explained how a significant portion of the cost of managing noncommunicable diseases is dedicated to managing complications rather than the disease itself.

“By implementing an ecosystem that focuses on preventive care and patient-centred care, this cost can be significantly reduced,” he explained.

Involved in the project are a number of pharmaceutical multinationals who will be sharing expertise, insights, and global best practices to help shape the EJADAH programme.

Karim Samy, medical director and personalised healthcare lead for Roche Pharmaceuticals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stated: “We believe that value-based healthcare truly has the potential to simultaneously improve patient outcomes as well as help address the sustainability challenges facing healthcare systems in the region.

“EJADAH will work towards ensuring that Dubai’s healthcare sector becomes more sustainable and patient-centric going forward, with incentivising improvements in value – rather than volume – through alternative payment models. It will no doubt also pave the way and inspire other territories in the region to consider similar approaches.”

Ahmed Fadl, general manager at Merck Gulf added: “Dubai has consistently raised the bar in terms of development and growth, implementing global best practices that have garnered the attention of global cities. This is an important project that aims to increase efficiency, efficacy, and safety whilst utilising best-practices and methodologies.

“Both qualitative and quantitative improvement has become critical in healthcare today, and the EJADAH program improvements will further increase the quality and address the costs while allowing access to next-generation technology.”