Feb 13, 2024
Philips and Malaffi join forces at Arab Health 2024, setting global standards for seamless healthcare image exchange
Building on the collaboration established in 2022, Malaffi becomes a global reference site for Philips' Image Exchange Solution
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology has announced a pioneering collaboration with Malaffi, operated by Abu Dhabi Health Data Services, a M42 company, the region’s first Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform and strategic initiative of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). By signing an agreement during Arab Health 2024 - the Middle East region’s largest healthcare event, Malaffi is officially recognised as a global reference site for Philips' Image Exchange Solution. Philips offers a suite of image exchange solutions to meet the country-specific needs and regulations of health systems, HIE’s and various exchange networks across the globe. So far, the Malaffi Image Exchange Solution has connected 64 healthcare facilities that provide radiology imaging services across Abu Dhabi, thus enabling the secure exchange of more than 90% of all radiology images produced in the Emirate annually. By the end of the first quarter of this year, it is anticipated that the solution will achieve full connectivity, connecting all 67 facilities, and capturing 100% of the images. The adoption of Health Information and Medical Images Exchange not only streamlines the exchange of information and images but also eliminates the time, expense, and risks associated with handling physical documents and media. Reducing the duplication of scans reduces healthcare costs, saves patients from unnecessary radiation exposure, and improves patient safety and experience. This shift towards digital sharing enhances the overall effectiveness of healthcare operations by mitigating the challenges posed by conflicting or missing information, enabling more accurate decision-making.
This is an extension of a successful partnership established in 2022 that enabled the Malaffi HIE platform to include the exchange of medical images among diverse facilities and IT systems. Malaffi facilitates the seamless and secure transfer of key patient healthcare information such as allergies, laboratory results, diagnosis, conditions and others.
This agreement underscores Philips' commitment to showcasing the best practice of how its technology facilitates sharing medical images across different facilities, fully integrated within a Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform. The HIE Solution ensures a reliable and standardized method for exchanging patient and clinical data and is a catalyst for revolutionizing healthcare interoperability, empowering providers to share information and medical images seamlessly and securely, ultimately enhancing patient care to unprecedented levels.
This global reference site agreement with Malaffi showcases the incredible impact of Philips technology on shaping the future of healthcare. Together with Malaffi, we are setting a new standard for sharing medical images digitally and securely, a move that is bound to enhance patient care and outcomes. We’re on a mission to revolutionize how medical information is shared, setting the stage for a seamless and efficient future in healthcare. This collaboration isn’t just about technology; it’s about making healthcare better for everyone.”
Dr. Samir Said
General Manager, Connected Care and Healthcare Informatics Philips Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META)
We are immensely proud to have joined the ranks of leading HIEs globally with our fully integrated Image Exchange Solution, a result of our partnership with Philips. This feature has been transformative for our clinicians and patients and has spearheaded our leadership in digital healthcare innovation. Setting a new standard in the dynamic landscape of healthcare technology, being inaugurated as a global reference site for Philip’s solution enables us to advocate for cutting-edge interoperability solutions that have a profound impact on the entire healthcare eco-system.”
Kareem Shahin
CEO, of Abu Dhabi Health Data Services
The Image Exchange Solution facilitates swift collaboration among physicians, enhancing diagnostic speed and treatment outcomes. This accomplishment highlights Abu Dhabi's visionary strides in digital transformation within the healthcare sector. As a part of its Enterprise Informatics Solutions portfolio, Philips provides a comprehensive suite of image exchange solutions that can be tailored to meet the distinct requirements and regulatory frameworks of various health systems, health information exchanges (HIEs), and exchange networks globally.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2023 sales of EUR 18.2 billion and employs approximately 69,700 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter
About Malaffi
Malaffi (Arabic for ‘My File’) is the region’s first Health Information Exchange (HIE) platform that safely and securely connects public and private healthcare providers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Malaffi enables the meaningful, real-time exchange of important patient health information between healthcare providers, creating a centralised database of unified patient records to ultimately improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Malaffi is operated by Abu Dhabi Health Data Services - Sole Proprietorship LLC (ADHDS), a M42 company, having been established under a Public Private Partnership with the Department of Health–Abu Dhabi (DoH). As part of the DoH’s strategic priorities, Malaffi is a key component of the digital transformation of the healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. By providing instant access to the patient’s longitudinal medical file, Malaffi facilitates the making of better-informed and more efficient clinical decisions, enhances coordination and transition of care, reduces unnecessary duplication of tests and procedures, reduces the risk of medical error, and improves patient safety and experience. As a centralised database of robust population health information collated from nearly all patient episodes in the Emirate Malaffi informs and drives the DOH’s public health initiatives for a healthier Abu Dhabi. Malaffi has received the ISO 27001:2013 Certification (International Organization for Standardization) and accreditation by the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) for the Health Information Exchange Accreditation Program (HIEAP) – recognising excellence in data privacy and security best practices. Malaffi is the first HIE outside of the US to ever have been awarded HIEAP accreditation. By connecting 100% of hospitals and 99% of all patient episodes in Abu Dhabi in just three years, Malaffi is noted as one of the fastest HIE rollouts in the world. For more information, please visit www.malaffi.ae.
