GCC Countries Embrace Digital Healthcare Transformation, Focusing on Interoperability
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are embracing digital transformation in healthcare, with a focus on interoperability. This is crucial for providing safe, timely, and efficient patient care, especially in regions where patients often move between multiple healthcare systems.
Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) are at the forefront of this effort. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, has implemented several HIE platforms: Malaffi in Abu Dhabi, NABIDH in Dubai, and the nationwide Riayati system. These platforms connect disparate electronic health record systems, enabling clinicians to access a patient's full medical history regardless of where they previously received care. As of March 2025, the UAE's multi-tiered HIE framework connects 3,018 healthcare facilities and supports 92 unique EMR systems.
Interoperability, the ability of different systems to work together seamlessly, is key to these platforms' success. It ensures that a patient's medical history travels with them, even across borders. This is particularly important in the GCC, where patients may seek care from different providers. Moreover, interoperable EMRs can help manage chronic diseases, a priority for both Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the UAE's National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. Without interoperability, fragmented data can lead to dangerous delays in emergency situations and increase healthcare costs through unnecessary tests.
Investing in smart, connected platforms is a clinical imperative for building healthcare systems that are ready to respond to patients' needs. Well-structured EMRs, with interoperability at their core, are the foundation of strong HIEs. The GCC's adoption of these systems is a step towards resilient, patient-centred healthcare, but more work is needed to ensure cross-network interoperability across the region.
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