4th Annual Middle East Patient Safety & Quality Congress sparks decisions on effectual measures tackling healthcare quality across the region

Abu Dhabi, UAE, May 23rd, 2016:  Hosted by Health Authority Abu Dhabi and in collaboration with the Health Ministers Council for GCC States and the Saudi Quality Council, the 4th Annual Middle East Patient Safety & Quality Congress in Abu Dhabi, organised by MEED, opened its doors today. 

As one of the region’s most important patient care and quality discussion platforms, the congress spans over three days, from May 23rd until 25th 2016, uniting senior representatives from Ministries of Health, Health Authorities, Hospitals, Universities, and practitioners from the region and beyond. The congress aims to increase understanding and compliance of the latest regulations, accreditation requirements and benchmarking requirements and establish actionable best practice strategies to improve patients’ quality of care and experience in the region. 

In a keynote address, Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Director Strategy, Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) shared HAAD’s insights on efficient measures addressing regulations, benchmarking, and accreditation to ensure measureable clinical excellence. This was illustrated through HAAD’s five-year regulatory landscape of quality and patient safety in the capital, which demonstrated the efficacy of its solutions for standards’ implementation and enforceability in Abu Dhabi. 

Dr. Asma Al Mannaei highlighted that “The journey of patient safety and quality care is a boundless one, which necessitates developing and constantly updating applicable benchmarking systems that integrate into the region’s complex and growing healthcare industries. These patient safety measures will enforce patients’ rights to access high quality care, and will automatically enhance the reputation of healthcare institutions, in addition to reducing costs that result from medical malpractice and which are incurred by governments and the concerned facilities.”

Following Dr. Asma Al Mannaei’s thought provoking address, Dr. Aref Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, stressed on the pivotal role a hospital leadership’s plays shaping the quality agenda. The discussion was focussed on the need for hospitals to eliminate inconsistencies in patient care through more effective management of the people, capabilities and communication. 

Dr. Aref Al Shehhi highlighted that “We can collaborate to build a sustainable healthcare future for UAE residents that is more prosperous, more just, and more secure to form a new era of patient safety, economic growth, environmental growth and social growth.  We need to explore the symptoms and identify the causes, and we must design new approaches to managing patient safety and to sustaining staff development and engagement.” 

Insightful panel discussions throughout the first day covered topics such as: difficulties in implementation and enforceability of standards, developing a common applicable benchmarking system, next steps post accreditation, preparing leaders with the right tools for effective accreditation and using real time health informatics and KPIs to improve clinical outcomes

Speakers addressing these topics included senior representatives from the Ministry of Health & Prevention UAE, Health Authority Abu Dhabi, National Guard Health Affairs (KSA) and JCI amongst others.

During the remaining days of the conference, the forum will feature the first HAAD JAWDA Quality awards, which recognises Abu Dhabi based hospitals on benchmarks laid out by the JAWDA Metrics system. The award winners will be presented the awards during the event. 

The Congress will also feature speaker presentations on: developing a unified code for patient safety and quality innovation across the GCC, and determining the effective use of digital healthcare to increase efficiency, accessibility of time-critical information and the focus on stronger patient engagement. It will also see young UAE inventor, Adeeb AlBlooshi speak on the pivotal role of research and development in providing better patient care. It will also address the need and benefits of automated integration of data on health trends to maximize overall prevention, and setting up an effective patient safety and quality system culture within the GCC. 
 
Industry professionals interested in attending on the remaining days can register directly at https://www.menapatientsafety.com/payment/select-your-ticket or find out more about being a delegate or sponsor at www.menapatientsafety.com.