Silver Opportunity : Case Studies - Delivering Integrated People-Centered Care for High-Risk Populations : Abu Dhabi Population at Risk Program (English)

Through proactive and visionary leadership, Abu Dhabi was able to use the COVID-19 crisis to accelerate the introduction and adoption of digital health tools to protect the health of at-risk populations, focusing on the elderly and those with chronic conditions. In collaboration with both public and private providers and the public payor in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center launched the proactive and innovative Population at Risk Program. The goal of the program was to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and provide targeted access to care during the pandemic to the Abu Dhabi high-risk population. The program combined telehealth services, through a Remote Care Platform, with home care services for participants throughout the pandemic. Data on patient participation, provided services and benefits were gathered and analyzed to determine the program's effectiveness. This data was collected from program leadership and a sample of participating healthcare providers, and patients to get a more complete picture of the program's benefits and challenges. The lessons learned from the Abu Dhabi experience have been synthesized to potentially help other countries implement similar programs. The analysis revealed that the program improved the Abu Dhabi high-risk population's access to healthcare during the pandemic and resulted in a slight improvement in outcomes for diabetic patients. In conclusion, Abu Dhabi has set an innovative example for improving health outcomes in high-risk populations by adopting a holistic and collaborative approach in designing and implementing technology-enabled interventions, which can enhance access, reduce costs, and improve outcomes for the elderly and high-risk patient groups.