Dubai Health Authority’s Informatics and Smart Health Department has unveiled the first Artificial Intelligence Policy for healthcare in the Emirate.
In line with the vision of the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, the policy strives to the objectives of UAE Centennial 2071 while also boosting government performance and invest in AI adoption.
Other than determining the regulatory requirements for the provision of artificial intelligence solutions in the field of healthcare, Dubai’s Health Sector AI Policy will also define ethical requirements for artificial intelligence solutions as well as defines the main roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in the development and use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Supported by an in-depth legislative and regulatory framework on the use of artificial intelligence solutions in the field of health, the policy aims to enhance the level of interaction, communication and cooperation between government health agencies, the private sector and the scientific community on the applications of artificial intelligence to contribute to accelerating the development of health services.
All artificial intelligence solutions related to healthcare services used by medical facilities, specialists, drug manufacturers, health insurance companies, public health centers and researchers within the jurisdiction of the Dubai Health Authority are under the purview of this policy.
Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, Director of Health Informatics and Smart Health Department at the Dubai Health Authority remarked that that artificial intelligence is more about the ability to think and analyze data more than it is related to a specific form or function.
Dr. Al Redha stated that “Artificial intelligence is a cornerstone in the growth plans of the health sector in the UAE, especially as it offers broad prospects for the development of current sectors, in addition to paving the way for a large and new set of business models and innovative technologies.”
The Health Informatics and Smart Health Department Director emphasized that the policy will benefit all healthcare stakeholders, the overall health sector as well as patients while adding that the policy is in line with the authority’s commitment to advance the growth of the health sector and employ artificial intelligence for the benefit of patients and society.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahira Abdel Rahman, Information and Smart Health Policy Officer at the DHA observed that “Through this policy, we seek to benefit from the capabilities of artificial intelligence to ensure smart management, work with high efficiency and enhance productivity in the health field,” further adding that “The policy has been formulated according to best clinical practices and emerging research. The policy mandates that all AI solutions for healthcare comply with the international and federal information laws, regulations and guidelines of the UAE and Dubai, especially with regard to human values, patient privacy, people’s rights and professional ethics, in the long and short term.”
