In our previous guide about UAE's Health Information Exchange systems, we described this technology and explained the baseline of its functions and legal necessities in the country. These systems – Malaffi, Riayatti, and NABIDH – are crucial points of the National Unified Medical Record (NUMR) initiative that regulates the work of all existing medical facilities in the country, uniting their information flow into one data storage.
In this article, we want to dig deeper and systematize the list of documents and guides from the NABIDH website containing specific technical requirements for HIE implementation in your clinic.
Step By Step Integration
This HIE system is required for healthcare facilities in the Dubai Emirate, and thus, it operates according to the laws of the local health authority – DHA. Instructions on the organization's website highlight two prerequisites for facilities that want to receive a new healthcare facility License in the Emirate: a trade license and an EMR system that complies with NABIDH technical requirements.
Facility Duties
It's not enough to choose an EMR system, you should also review the legal basis for proper data management, which is mandatory for keeping your license.
The first law you should consider before NABIDH integration is the Federal Law (2019) on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which regulates data storage and security. A few crucial points:
- Your EMR provider should physically store information within UAE borders.
- Your dental facility should keep all digital records for 25 years after the last patient's visit.
- Keep data safe and confident, and prevent any unauthorized use for research, data exchange with third parties, etc. (with few exceptions, described below)
ICT is also complemented by the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), which together form several key data management principles to be followed to avoid regulatory actions:
- Data storage and management should be fair, lawful, and transparent.
- Purpose limitation – health information should not be used for public health, research, safety initiatives, etc, without special permission from DHA and consent of the Data Subject (clinic patient)
- Data minimization – all information should be stored no longer than ICT required. Additionally, all stored data should be adequate, relevant, and not excessive, limited to HIE technical requirements (we describe them in the next chapter).
- Accuracy – the facility should keep all records accurate, complete, and up to date and immediately prevent any inaccurate records.
- The facility must guarantee health information's integrity, confidentiality, and security.
- The facility should dispose of health information after the period defined in ICT without any grounds for its retention.
The facilities are responsible for all these requirements. Once you decide to start NABIDH integration, you should choose an EMR provider with a system that meets the mentioned demands. The official DHA guidance, "Health Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy," can provide more detailed information.
Requirements For The EMR System
In the instructions on the DHA website, the EMR prerequisite says that you should get "... EMR that complies with NABIDH Minimum Data Set and NABIDH standards." Thus, it may mean that some EMR systems that are not present in the recommendation list but meet the Data Set requirements can be integrated into HIE. Still, it’s important to note that the chosen EMR should have the intention to integrate with NABIDH or participate in an onboarding process so your facility can pass the annual DHA inspection.
NABIDH Minimal Data Set document defines crucial types of information that the facility must gather during cooperation with patients and specifies formats that the system should use.
Demographic and clinical information:
- Family and Social History
- Vitals, allergies, diagnosis, and health problems
- Procedures and Medication orders
- Radiology (without images) and laboratory results
- VIP identifiers, patient consent, and insurance information
- Patient demographic; family and social history
- Clinical documents and vaccination details.
Additionally, NABIDH is required to collect datasets with more specified patient and facility data, including:
- MRN Number
- Patient Name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Emirates ID
- Mobile number
- Nationality
- Address
- Clinician and Facility Sheryan ID
NABIDH uses Current Dental Terminology by American Dental Association (CDT(ADA)) standards for dental procedures and related services, which are internationally widespread and recognized. Also NABIDH follows international messaging standards – HL7, including V2.x, V3, etc.
Smooth Integration
If your facility is located in Dubai, you need to integrate with the NABIDH to provide healthcare services, and Remedico can help you at this point! Our EMR system matches NABIDH's technical and formatting requirements, so we can implement it in your dental clinic and help you join the Health Information Exchange initiative.
