The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi obtains recognition as an institutional member of the International Society for Quality in Health Care

8 Aug, 2022:

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the Emirate, was announced as an institutional member of the International Society for Health Care Quality (ISQua), an international organisation dedicated to promoting quality improvement in healthcare through global co-operation and collaboration.

As an outcome of the membership, DoH will join forces with ISQua to strengthen the international healthcare landscape through delivering safe and high-quality healthcare services to the global community. As a result of the membership, DoH will further position the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a global leader in healthcare quality, support the improvement of patient safety in the UAE and the region and strengthen the Emirate’s quality of the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Quality Index ‘Muashir’ by collaborating with international organisations. 

Additionally, DoH will showcase Abu Dhabi’s healthcare quality programmes to attract more professionals and experts from the region to share knowledge and expertise about the latest trends in healthcare quality.

As an ISQua member, DoH will host conferences, exhibitions and workshops locally, regionally and internationally to promote best practices for high quality and safe healthcare services as well as raise awareness on the importance of safe health and social care. Furthermore, DoH will expand cross collaborations across the global healthcare sector to ensure the optimum delivery of healthcare services to all patients in Abu Dhabi and beyond. Through ISQua membership, DoH will have access to all of ISQua’s online resources and free online access to the International Journal for Quality in Health Care (IJQHC).

HE Hind Al Zaabi, Executive Director of Healthcare Facilities at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said: “The journey of quality development across the healthcare sector is a continuous one that never ends. The field of healthcare quality is constantly evolving with new ways and areas for improvement being identified every day. In line with the vision of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi to improve the well-being of society and drive growth in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector, DoH has proudly joined the International Society for Health Care Quality’s (ISQua) community. The quality of healthcare remains at the forefront of DoH’s priorities as it strives to strengthen the sector’s quality while ensuring the delivery of comprehensive and timely services to all members of the community.”

As part of DoH’s vision to continuously elevate outcomes of the healthcare sector, DoH launched Muashir – Abu Dhabi Healthcare Quality Index in 2018 to provide better healthcare quality and services in the Emirate. ‘Muashir’ is the first-of-its-kind in the region in terms of comprehensiveness and quality, acting as an extension of the “JAWDA” programme launched by DoH in 2014 to measure the level of the quality of health services provided by the Emirate’s healthcare facilities. ‘Muashir’ focuses on nine key dimensions, including: clinical care outcomes, quality assurance certificate, healthcare regulation assurance, safe workplace, correct claims, Malpractices, patient happiness, staff happiness, as well as research and innovation.

ISQua was established in 1985 with a vision to promote quality and safety in healthcare through international co-operation and collaboration. ISQua is dedicated to making this vision a reality. As a membership organisation, ISQua aims to increase the network of members worldwide, with a focus on developing benefits for members so that they are supported in their efforts to innovate, transform, develop and improve safe person-centred care.