IMPLEMENTATION OF TELEHEALTH IN DUBAI

Implementation of telehealth in Dubai

Telehealth for diabetic patients

Implementation of Telehealth in Dubai

Telehealth for diabetic patients

Dubai and Abu Dhabi today have come a long way in health facilitation and especially in the use of telecommunications to improve access to health care, principally in response to the isolation and shortage of services in remote communities. In earlier years (mid-seventies) satellites were used to offer services to the far northern communities. More recently, communication technologies are being combined with information technologies to form IT&T combinations which improve access to both services and information. Over a short period of time 2002-2003, the private and public telehealth industry in Dubai has undergone major changes due to a number of private and public sector developments and initiatives. (Nabi Qasim Ali 2009 Pp. 89-91.)

There have been many definitions of telemedicine in the literature, but few definitions to aptly define telehealth, an integrating and more holistic term encompassing all of the telematics applications in health and health care. As defined, it embraces a wide range of traditional telemedicine practices and activities, as well as newer applications combining medical and health informatics and telematics systems and applications. Telehealth is defined as the use of communications and information technology to deliver health and health care services and information over large and small distances. Telehealth permits the transfer of different kinds of health data and information: provision or confirmation of a diagnosis, surveillance and epidemiological, management, clinical and research information, literature search and retrieval, health and wellness, health and medical educational content. Based on the most common combinations of system, content or information, users and their locations, objectives and aims for different telehealth activities in Dubai, the different telehealth applications were grouped together under five general categories, Dubai has a long and rich history in the use of telecommunications to improve access to health care, principally in response to the isolation and shortage of services in remote communities. In earlier years (mid-seventies) satellites were used to offer services to the far northern communities. More recently, communication technologies are being combined with information technologies to form IT&T combinations which improve access to both services and information. Over a short period of time, the private and public telehealth industry in Dubai has undergone major changes due to a number of private and public sector developments and initiatives. The few definitions to aptly define telehealth, an integrating and more holistic term encompassing all of the telematics applications in health and health care. As defined, it embraces a wide range of traditional telemedicine practices and activities, as well as newer applications combining medical and health informatics and telematics systems and applications. For purposes of this report then, the following definition will be used to define the field of telehealth.

Telehealth is defined as the use of communications and information technology to deliver health and health care services and information over large and small distances. Telehealth permits the transfer of different kinds of health data and information: provision ...