With its state-of-the-art infrastructure, telemedicine is ideal for Dubai's busy citizens. The adoption of telehealth is being driven by COVID-19 legislation and insurance coverage, which is making healthcare more convenient and accessible. Telemedicine consultations can stop the spread of disease, and virtual care platforms like remote patient monitoring are increasing results. This strategy is demonstrated by Dubai's "Doctor for Every Citizen" programme, which provides virtual consultations to all citizens. Telemedicine will keep enhancing patient-centered treatment and healthcare access in Dubai as technology develops. Read the blog to learn more.

Okadoc allows patients to search for nearby hospitals, clinics, and solo physicians who can provide the service. It was developed by a Dubai-based healthcare technology company and was released last year. It also enables doctors from various locations and specializations to register, offer healthcare services online, and thereby broaden their online visibility. Through this app, patients can get in touch with 35 HQ healthcare providers and over 400 doctors.

Family medicine, dentistry, pediatrics, allergy, cardiology, chiropractic, dermatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, psychiatry, and urology are among the many specialties that are supported.

Apart from a wide range of medical specialties, Okadoc supports numerous health insurance services, including AXA, Neuron, Saico Health, ADNIC, Next Care, Daman, and MSH International.

(Source: Healthcare Business Club)

The Growing Telehealth Market in Dubai and UAE

More than 50% of UAE hospitals employ various IoT-based solutions and healthcare systems, and 90% of physicians use smartphones and medical applications to deliver healthcare, demonstrating how widespread technology has become.

Over the course of the forecast period, which runs from 2023 to 2028, the UAE Telehealth Market is expected to expand at a CAGR of over 25%. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become a major center for healthcare and the top travel destination for medical tourism in recent years.

Because of their accessibility and ease, digital health solutions are becoming more and more popular among consumers in the United Arab Emirates. With a projected total revenue value of US$238.90 million in 2024, Digital Treatment & Care will be the largest market.

How Telemedicine is Making Waves in Dubai

Patients can receive clinical services remotely thanks to digital health transformation. It's about accessibility, speed, and quality of care, not just comforts. With its modern infrastructure and diverse population, Dubai is a fast-growing metropolis where telemedicine makes it possible to seamlessly incorporate healthcare into daily life.

A significant adoption barrier has been overcome by increased remote healthcare services accessibility thanks to COVID-19 reimbursement increases. The adoption is being driven by telemedicine services being covered by mandatory health insurance and by the increasing penetration of private health insurance players. Due to various regulatory restrictions, the absence of federal standards in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai telemedicine hinders the ability of telehealth providers to expand their services across all of the emirates. As a result, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two important cities, show the concentration.

Here’s how telehealth is improving healthcare outcomes in Dubai:

1. Virtual care platforms
   Enterprise virtual care healthcare software solutions are emerging, and an increasing number of chief information officers in the healthcare industry are considering investments in them to support virtual care capabilities holistically. By 2023, virtual encounters are predicted by some industry experts to surpass face-to-face delivery experiences, leading to a significant realignment of clinical care and health IT. One example of a virtual care platform is remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems, which are quickly becoming widely used. For patients who are recuperating or who are more vulnerable due to pre-existing chronic conditions, RPM can assist in lowering (re)admissions.

2. Prevents spread of diseases
   Providing healthcare during outbreaks and epidemics has been shown to be successful when done so via telemedicine. Minimal contact makes it challenging for hospitals to prioritize patient safety while still providing high-quality care because societal distancing norms are practiced. Telehealth in Dubai uses technology to provide a contactless method of therapy, bridging the gap between physicians and patients. By providing medical advice over the phone, doctors in the United Arab Emirates can utilize telemedicine to screen patients through online consultations and shield them from infectious agents. This lessens the chance of infectious disease transmission for both the patient and the physician. Companies can hire a healthcare app development company to build such a solution.

3. Doctor for every citizen
   In 2019, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in the United Arab Emirates launched a clever programme named "Doctor for Every Citizen," which offers voice and video chats for 24-hour remote medical consultations. At first, Emiratis were the only ones who could use the service. However, it was expanded to cover all Dubai residents following the Covid-19 outbreak. The programme offers initial consultations and follow-up appointments with physicians certified by DHA. Prescriptions and test report submission requests can be made online by the doctor. In order to better serve UAE citizens, Doctor for Every Citizen aims to bring doctors and patients closer together while utilizing cutting-edge techniques and technologies. In order to give citizens access to healthcare from anywhere at any time, it seeks to achieve high levels of virtual healthcare and communication. Software development services in Dubai are improving as a result of this initiative.
   Final Thoughts

Digital healthcare software development is being quickly adopted by Dubai's healthcare sector in an effort to improve services while keeping costs down. The application of AI, automation, and machine learning lowers costs while increasing production, efficiency, and accuracy.

Patients will have more access to healthcare as telemedicine and telecommunications continue to progress technologically. Future telemedicine developments by a software development company in Dubai will enable patients to gain from a more patient-centered healthcare system.