UAE – Dubai: The Emirates Health Services (EHS) held the sixth session of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) virtually. The meeting, attended by patient and family representatives and strategic partners, reviewed the Council's achievements in 2024 and discussed the work plan for the current year.

IRMIS Initiative: Enhancing Patient and Family Participation in Treatment Process

The session highlighted the IRMIS initiative, which aims to educate patients about their rights and promote their active participation in the treatment process. This reflects the commitment of Emirates Health Services to delivering equitable healthcare that respects patients' personal values and beliefs. These include the patients' rights to participate in their healthcare plan, receive fair care that ensures privacy, be informed about their health condition and available treatment options, and access the necessary medical guidance and advice.

In line with this commitment, EHS is dedicated to promoting the Patient Rights Charte across all its healthcare facilities to enhance awareness, ensure a superior healthcare experience, and strengthen patient confidence in the healthcare system. This contributes to improving the quality of medical services and advancing the healthcare sector.

Designing Services in Partnership with the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC)

As part of its efforts to enhance patient participation in improving healthcare quality, the PFAC continues to play an active role in evaluating and designing new services that align with patient needs and expectations. In its most recent meeting, the Council discussed its 2025 business plan, which includes the introduction of a range of new services. The Council members will participate in evaluating and designing these services through field visits to observe the patient journey, analyse their needs and preferences, and ensure the provision of integrated services that meet their expectations.

The Council also addressed community engagement activities, emphasising the importance of attending customer councils in healthcare facilities and neighborhoods. This allows direct interaction with the community, enabling the Council to gather feedback, understand public concerns, and develop services based on actual needs.

This approach aligns with efforts to foster a culture of patient-centered care and strengthen the active role of patients in shaping the future of healthcare services. It aims to ensure an exceptional experience that meets the highest standards of quality and excellence.

Recommendations from Patient and Family Representatives

 At the conclusion of the session, patient and family representatives proposed several recommendations aimed at enhancing the patient experience and improving the quality of healthcare. These included strengthening communication channels between patients and healthcare facilities to ensure seamless access to feedback and inquiries and expanding educational programmes on patients' rights and responsibilities to enhance awareness of available services. The recommendations also included developing mechanisms to measure patient engagement in the treatment process and conducting periodic surveys to assess patient opinions and improve service quality. They also proposed enhancing the use of smart technology to facilitate direct communication between healthcare providers and patients, thereby streamlining procedures and improving medical service delivery.