Dubai Health is spearheading a transformative approach to healthcare through its newly established Centre for Innovation and Technology, deploying cutting-edge technologies to enhance patient experiences and clinical outcomes. The 2,000-square-meter innovation hub serves as the core of this initiative, focusing on converting healthcare challenges into practical, technology-driven solutions.
A flagship program utilizes virtual reality (VR) headsets to alleviate anxiety and pain in pediatric patients undergoing frequent blood procedures, such as those at the thalassemia center. According to Yacine Hadjiat, Director of the Centre, clinicians reported significant anxiety in young patients during cannulation. The immersive VR experience effectively distracts children, reducing their focus on medical needles and creating a more relaxed treatment environment. This program has already been trialed on over 100 patients and is expanding to emergency and mental health departments across multiple hospitals.
Beyond VR applications, the innovation center is executing a comprehensive redesign of patient journeys. Through collaboration with clinicians, staff, and medical students, more than 90 improvement projects have been identified to address pain points from registration to waiting times. Enhancements include streamlined digital access via the Dubai Health app, where patients pre-upload information to facilitate seamless clinic visits, and physical redesigns of clinical spaces to reduce stress.
The center operates through four specialized laboratories focusing on human-centered design, data and artificial intelligence, sensors and wearables, and extended reality technologies.
Looking toward the future, Dubai Health is advancing a groundbreaking research initiative named Pain Detect, funded by the Dubai Future Foundation’s 2024 RDI grant. This project aims to develop an AI-powered wearable system that objectively measures pain through physiological signals, moving beyond subjective patient descriptions. This technology could revolutionize care for non-communicative patients, including children and intensive care occupants, establishing a new global standard in pain management.