S P E C I A L I S T I N S I G H T

What is Al-Futtaim Health’ s long-term vision for transforming healthcare in the UAE and the wider region?

Our long-term vision is to be a leader in transforming healthcare by making premium, high-quality care both accessible and affordable for communities across the UAE and the wider region. The way we are doing this is by fundamentally challenging the traditional healthcare model, with our approach built on three pillars: efficiency, quality and affordability. For efficiency, we’ ve optimised our operations to ensure a smoother patient journey, aiming to be faster than other clinics. For quality, we’ ve invested heavily in our facilities, staff and technology, a commitment that has been externally validated by our platinum-level accreditation from Accreditation Canada.

Finally, by focusing on a scalable community-based model, we can offer this high-quality care at a more affordable price point, making it reachable for a broader segment of the population. This vision is about creating a new benchmark for healthcare that is both excellent and equitable.

How does Al-Futtaim Health align its strategy with the broader goals of Al-Futtaim?

Our purpose is to improve the lives of the communities we serve, and we achieve this by focusing on wellbeing and health. We go beyond treating illnesses; we aim to keep people healthy through a multi-faceted approach. We provide patient-focused care that is tailored to individual needs and run extensive preventive programmes, such as community wellness campaigns and chronic disease management initiatives, which are designed to enhance the quality of life and reduce the burden of disease.

While many healthcare providers are expanding their investments and services to meet the needs of the growing affluent segment of the expatriate population, we remain equally focused on supporting the long-standing middleincome communities in the UAE. Our goal is to ensure that preventive healthcare is accessible, inclusive and tailored to the needs of all segments of society. This reflects the group’ s wider mission: to create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of people, ensuring that our communities not just live, but thrive.

What are the most significant trends in healthcare that you’ re seeing at the moment?

We’ re observing several significant trends that are reshaping the healthcare landscape. The first and most impactful is the massive, ongoing shift towards Digital Transformation, encompassing everything from the rise of telehealth and remote monitoring to the use of AI in diagnostics and operational efficiency.

The second trend is the growing emphasis on preventive health and wellness. People are becoming more proactive about their health, and the healthcare industry is responding by offering more services focused on early detection, wellness programmes and chronic disease management.

Another important trend is the increasing access to information among patients, driven by digital platforms and emerging AI tools. While this empowers individuals to take a more active role in their health, it also places a greater responsibility on healthcare providers to guide them through complex medical information. Our clinicians are now engaging in more in-depth consultations, helping patients understand the evidence behind clinical decisions.

Finally, we’ re seeing a move towards a truly patientcentric model. Patients are no longer passive recipients of care; they are active participants. They demand convenience, transparency and a personalised experience, which is why we put so much effort into our patient experience department.

How is Al-Futtaim Health leveraging digital health technologies?

Our journey began with the‘ Smart Clinic’ in 2022, and although that particular model was a learning experience, we have since integrated successful and scalable technologies. A core component of our digital strategy is our robust teleconsultation platform, which is fully embedded within our HealthHub services, allowing patients to have remote consultations with our highly experienced doctors.

To ensure we are evolving with the needs of our patients, we have integrated an advanced AI-powered tool across our system. The Solventum AI tool is a speech recognition system that streamlines clinical documentation, allowing doctors to focus their attention on the patient rather than their computer screen.

We are also implementing an AI solution to improve our insurance claims submission process, enabling faster turnaround times. In addition, we have started piloting a‘ Computer Vision’ AI solution that provides insights into clinic footfall patterns, peak hours and heat maps, allowing us to optimise operations and improve efficiencies. We are also testing AI tools for radiology imaging, which assist doctors by suggesting possible diagnoses based on a vast database of clinical cases, along with several other AI-driven use cases currently under evaluation. Our commitment is to remain at the forefront of digital health innovation.

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