Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi
Background
Today, the Health Sector of ABU DHABI faces the challenge of the effective introduction of innovations due to the progress of technologies. However, effects of the introduction of innovations in the Health Sector remain under-researched. The current study is grounded on previous studies which reveal the emergence and wide introduction of innovations in the health care system of the ABU DHABI. Innovations open large opportunities for the development and introduction of new technologies to increase the effectiveness of health care services and organizations (Einhorn, 2012). The enhancement of health care system by innovations raises the problem of the adequate assessment of consequences of such innovations (Sadler, et al., 2011). The current introduction of innovations in the Health Sector of Abu Dhabi has already led to the change in the quality of health care services but raised the problem of the change of traditional cultural norms and practices in health care system (Brundtland, 2011). In such a situation, it is important to find out whether changes driven by innovations can improve the Health Sector of Abu Dhabi or probably raise new problems and challenges, which may threaten to the future of the Health Sector of Abu Dhabi (Sullivan, 2013).Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi
In fact, the current development of technologies opens wide opportunities for their implementation in the Health Sector (Suby, 2013). At the same time, Abu Dhabi faces the problem of the technological dependence on foreign suppliers (Ekmekci & Turley, 2008), the fact that innovations are generated in western and other leading countries of the world, whereas Abu Dhabi are just consumers of new technologies that raises the problem of the high costs of the introduction of innovations. So, the introduction of new technologies can raise the problem of the adaptation of new technologies to the health system’s environment in Abu Dhabi.
In actuality, the problem of the successful introduction of innovations in the health care sector of Abu Dhabi is not just the question of the effectiveness of the public health sector of the emirate but also and mainly this is the question of availability and quality of health care. Innovations help to provide advanced health care services to the broader population. If new technologies and innovations are not implemented effectively, misbalanced in the delivery of health care services may occur. For instance, some health care services may be available for some people and unavailable to others. As a result, the risk of the social inequality in Abu Dhabi increases.
However, the major challenge of the contemporary health sector of Abu Dhabi is the dependence of the emirate on foreign technologies which are crucial for the introduction of innovations. Abu Dhabi does not generate innovations. Instead, the emirate mainly purchases available technologies abroad and pays for their maintenance to foreign companies mainly. As a result, the local health care system becomes more and more dependent on the foreign technology supply. Such a situation threatens to the stability of the development of the health sector of Abu Dhabi, in case the emirate turns out to be unable to fund innovative programs and purchase technologies abroad.
Preliminary Literature Review
At the moment, Abu Dhabi focuses on the development and enhancement of its public health sector. The government of Abu Dhabi and each emirate prioritizes the development of the health sector to make health care services available to all citizens (Sadler, 2011). More important, the authorities attempt to improve the quality of health care services and health sector for all citizens. In this regard, Abu Dhabi faces the problem of the widening gap between the technology applied to the health sector today in the health sector of the ABU DHABI, while the introduction of new technologies raises the problem of their integration into the health care system of Abu Dhabi and effective use by health care professionals (Sullivan, 2013). For instance, professionals working in the health care system will need training to be able to use new technologies in their work.Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi
The development of innovations becomes one of the major priorities in the development of the health sector of Abu Dhabi (Einhorn, 2012). However, researchers (Einhorn, 2012) reveal certain gap between the technological development of the health sector of Abu Dhabi and the qualification and training of health care professionals using those technologies. For instance, the introduction of the electronic health record in Abu Dhabi was an effective step forward in the development of the health sector but, even though Abu Dhabi was one of the first nations, where electronic health records have been introduced, the country still faces the problem of its effective use (Suby, 2013). Some researchers (Sadler, 2011) reveal the fact that electronic health records used by the health sector of Abu Dhabi depends on the supply of software as well as hardware from other countries without the well-developed local production. As a result, Abu Dhabi use the effective technology bit, at the same time, Abu Dhabi do not own the technology to produce the equipment, hardware and software for electronic health records (Sullivan, 2013). In addition, such systems require the maintenance and updating which is also a challenge for Abu Dhabi because of the dependence of the country on foreign supplies. The localization of this technology is one of the priorities for the ABU DHABI, at the moment. However, this example is typical for the health care sector of Abu Dhabi and reveals the full extent to which the advanced technologies that are introduced in the national health care system do not match the technological basis of Abu Dhabi since the country lacks sufficient technological basis to create local technologies and introduce them in the health sector. In other words, one of the main challenges for Abu Dhabi is the localization of the technological development and the development of respective technological basis and industries to introduce innovations and maintain them in the health sector of the ABU DHABI.
Research Problem
The fast progress of innovations in the Health Sector of Abu Dhabi raises the problem of their successful integration into Abu Dhabi health care practices. On the other hand, the integration of innovations in health care system raises another problem, the problem of the minimization of risks and threats related to the use of new technologies. For instance, the introduction of information technologies in the health Sector raises the risk of information breaches and the violation of privacy of patients. Hence, innovations should be safe for patients and maintain the high quality of health care services in the ABU DHABI. The current study is involving professionals working in the field of medicine and medicine-related technologies to find out possible challenges associated with the introduction of innovations and their impact on the Health Sector, patients and quality of health care services in the ABU DHABI. The research is supposed to find out possible difficulties and challenges caused by innovations and to give insights toward their prevention and resolution.
The aim of the study is to find out effects of the introduction of innovations on the Health Sector of Abu Dhabi and the quality of health care services. Objectives of the study are the identification of new technologies introduced in the Health Sector of the ABU DHABI; the identification of the qualitative improvements of the quality of health care services in the ABU DHABI.
Research Questions
- What benefits have been gained since introducing new technologies in the Health Sector in Abu Dhabi?
- What are the obstacles of adopting new technologies in the Health Sector in Abu Dhabi?Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi
Methodology
The study will use the qualitative method of analysis. It will use the random selection of the sample population. The sample population will include professionals working in the Health Sector and professionals, who have relations to medicine-related technologies. Participants of the study will be selected randomly with their professional background related to health system and technologies as the only criteria for their selection. The selected population will represent both genders and different age groups. The cultural background is irrelevant but participants of the study should have the in-depth knowledge of the health care system of Abu Dhabi and introduction of new technologies in the Health Sector of the ABU DHABI.
The independent variable of the study will be the professional background of participants of the study, which involves the technical or health care background. The dependent variable of the study includes effects of the introduction of innovations on health care services delivered to patients in the ABU DHABI.
The participants of the study will be involved in interviews and questionnaires. The questionnaire will be a semi-structured one to provide participants of the study with an opportunity to provide extensive responses to questions concerning the development of new technologies and their implementation in the health sector of the ABU DHABI. At the same time, such questionnaires will help to find out key problems the health sector faces in the course of the introduction of new technologies. The interview will help to reveal the personal position of each participant involved into the study and help to find out possible challenges associated with the introduction of new technologies in the health sector of the ABU DHABI. The personal experience of each participant will help to summarize key challenges and problems of innovations introduced in the health sector of the ABU DHABI.Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi
Significance of the Research
The study is important in terms of the accurate assessment of the current implementation of innovations in the Health Sector of the ABU DHABI. It will help to understand effects of the introduction of innovations on the quality of health care services. The revelation of consequences of innovations and their effects on health care services will help to understand whether benefits of the introduction of innovations will outweigh their costs. Moreover, the adequate understanding of effects of the introduction of new technologies and innovations in the Health Sector will help to identify possible challenges, risks and threats, which, therefore, can be eliminated, if they are identified. The introduction of innovations in the health sector of Abu Dhabi can contribute to the consistent improvement of the quality of health care system of the emirate and accelerate its technological progress. The current study helps to reveal effective ways to overcoming existing challenges and problems that prevent the successful introduction of innovations and decrease the effectiveness of innovations in the contemporary health care environment. The current study gives implications for further researches in the field of the wider and more effective implementation of innovations in the health sector of Abu Dhabi.Effects of Innovation in Health Sector in Abu Dhabi