Impact of Digitalization of the Healthcare Industry and Covid 19 Management: Case of the UAE

ABSTRACT

Technology has changed the face of almost every sphere of life including the healthcare system which was erstwhile considered a subject of pure clinical evaluation. The onset of the Covid 19 pandemic underscored adaptation to technology as the singular solution to address the banes of the huge number of people afflicted with it globally with limited healthcare workers and resources. The opening of a small healthcare centre in the Al Ras region marked the beginning of healthcare in Dubai. The healthcare system of the UAE has grown exponentially over the years, and it now offers a variety of specialized services that sets it apart from the others. The UAE healthcare industry is increasingly improving to meet the changing needs of its people as well as the country's goal to become a regional medical tourism hub. The government is implementing several long-term projects to achieve balanced growth and to incorporate sustainable growth in the industry while meeting the immediate needs of the population. Comprehensive health-care reforms have been enacted over the last ten years. This paper examines the development and results of Health-Care reforms in the UAE using primary data collected by conducting a survey in a prominent health organization in the UAE. The main aim of the survey was to study the impact of digitalization on the healthcare sector in the UAE. The case in point was the influence of digitalized measures including Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in handling the Covid-19 situation from the point of view of the healthcare sector employees. © 2021 IEEE.