Today's Edition
AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)
As healthcare professionals incorporate cutting-edge technologies into routine clinical practice, artificial intelligence is spurring innovation throughout Abu Dhabi's healthcare industry, supporting early disease detection, enhancing medical imaging and clinical decision-making and enabling more personalised treatment.
According to Dr Mujtaba Ali-Khan, CEO of Burjeel Medical City and Group Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Burjeel Holdings, AI assists professionals in identifying findings that need further investigation, evaluating illnesses more reliably and obtaining accurate measurements to inform treatment strategies.
"The clinician makes the decision throughout; AI supports it," he stated.
AI tools in emergency imaging enable radiologists to prioritise cases that might need immediate attention by identifying potentially urgent findings in head CT scans. AI helps with mammography analysis in breast imaging, giving radiologists another level of evaluation.
According to Michelle Machon, Chief EBP and Clinical Informatics at Burjeel Holdings, AI is becoming more and more integrated into the routine provision of healthcare, assisting physicians during consultations, assisting radiologists in reviewing scans and enhancing hospital operations.
According to her, "the value comes from helping clinicians see what needs attention, find useful information within their existing workflow and spend less time on documentation."
More than 150,000 imaging studies have been supported by AI technologies from Qure.ai and Lunit within the group's radiology systems, according to Machon. Radiologists review the results before finalising their reports.
During medical consultations, AI is also assisting in the reduction of administrative workloads. Physicians review, edit, and approve structured draft clinical notes that are created from doctor-patient conversations by the Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent.
According to Machon, "It eliminates the typing without eliminating clinical responsibility."
Healthcare providers are investigating AI-powered tools to enhance hospital coordination, track patient flow, and manage capacity in addition to clinical applications.
Additionally, voice-based services and digital assistants are being developed to help patients access information and schedule appointments.
The next stage of healthcare innovation, according to Ali-Khan, will concentrate on linking various phases of the patient journey, from initial consultations and diagnosis to treatment and post-discharge support.
"Abu Dhabi is exceptionally well-positioned for this: the foundations are already in place with a regulator that has set clear expectations for AI and an emirate-wide health information exchange through Malaffi," he stated.
However, clinical validation, data privacy, workflow integration, and suitable human oversight are necessary for the broader adoption of AI.
Ali-Khan emphasised that the goal is to enhance rather than replace the skills of healthcare professionals, making sure that technology helps provide more effective and individualised care.
"A hospital without patients is not the aim. In this health system, patients experience fewer delays, professionals have access to better information, and technology facilitates the provision of compassionate, individualised care, he said.
