Dubai says to roll out 'Robodoc' initiative after pilot phase
Source: 23 January 2017 | Arabian Business
"The pilot phase of the Dubai Health Authority’s 'RoboDoc' initiative will be completed in March and will then be rolled out across all DHA hospitals and health centres, according to a top health official.Last year, the pilot phase was launched, which uses robots to help speed up care in Hatta Hospital's emergency department and the Nad Al Hammar Primary Healthcare Centre and is linked to Rashid Hospital's Trauma Centre.
The authority said it will also extend the Dubai RoboDoc initiative to home-care patients where a nurse will visit and dial in for tele-consultations if needed, a statement said.Dr Moin Fikree, medical director of the Trauma Centre and lead for the DHA’s Telemedicine initiative, said: ""Telemedicine is the way forward in many ways. It ensures immediate access to specialised consultation, which is particularly helpful in emergency situations. It also reduces the transfer of patients to Rashid Hospital’s Trauma Centre and helps enhance the functioning of other DHA emergency departments and ICUs.
""Telehealth is a boon, especially in emergency cases, where time plays in critical role in saving a patient’s life. Telehealth provides immediate access to consultation with specialists. In fact, through the robot, doctors can consult with two or more specialists in different health facilities at the same time to get immediate specialised consultation.""Under the Robodoc scheme, doctors from Hatta Hospital are able to consult with a neurologist from Rashid hospital and a cardiologist from Dubai Hospital at the same time.Dr Fikree added: ""Through this technology, we are cutting down in time lapses, reducing the need for patients to travel from Hatta or other areas to Rashid Hospital, and providing them with specialised health services.""DHA said it is using robots designed by InTouch Health Technologies, which it plans to extend to ICUs, NICUs and for further consultation purposes."
