POLICY COUNCIL ON HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION IN THE EMIRATE OF DUBAI
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The UAE 2021 vision is to become one of the best countries in the world and “continually invest to build world-class healthcare infrastructure, expertise and services to fulfil citizens growing needs and expectations. The Dubai Health System consists of public and private service providers and continues to flourish year on year. The number of licensed health professionals increased from 17,516 in 2011 to 39,548 Q4-2019 and number of licensed health facilities increased from 2,056 in 2011 to 3,431 in Q4-2019. Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licenses health facilities and health professionals, conducts clinical, audit and inspection, manages medical complaints, governs e-health and health informatics, issues policies and standards, and supports ongoing investment and growth and indeed strategies to promote health tourism.
Healthcare providers are increasingly under pressure to provide safe and high-quality care at an affordable cost. In response to this challenge, many healthcare providers across the globe have adopted accreditation as a tool to improve safety and healthcare quality. Hospital accreditation schemes vary in their requirements (evidence-based standards), costs, frequency and undergo regular revisions to conform to best practices however, they are often considered to be voluntary, self-regulatory or quasi-controlled initiative. The Policy Council undertook a study to explore the impact of hospital accreditation through a series of hospital provider focus groups.