Dubai Health, the first integrated academic health system in Dubai, is embracing virtual reality technology to improve patient care across its hospitals and healthcare centers. This initiative kicks off with a study and implementation program at the Thalassemia Center, exploring the use of VR technology to reduce anxiety and pain during cannulation (needle insertion) procedures for thalassemia patients. This study, the first-of-its-kind for this specific patient group in Dubai, holds promise for a more comfortable and positive healthcare experience.

Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, which leads the learning and discovery missions of Dubai Health, will conduct and document the study. Unlike prior studies that primarily relied on subjective experiences, this novel approach will incorporate objective measurements such as eye movement tracking and heart rate to assess the effectiveness of VR technology, marking a significant advancement in medical discovery.

Dr. Fatheya Abbas Al-Khaja, director of the Thalassemia Center, said: “The application of VR technology at the Thalassemia Center has the potential to transform the experience for patients undergoing cannulation procedures. Throughout my years at the Thalassemia Center, we have explored numerous modalities to alleviate the pain of our patients. This program epitomizes our ‘Patient First’ promise to provide a more comfortable and anxiety-free experience, not just for the patients, but also for their families who witness this process. We are eagerly anticipating the results of this study.”

Separate from the MBRU study, the selected VR technology had been tested extensively. It demonstrated clinically effective results in 14 published and 30 ongoing studies, providing a solid foundation for its use in improving patient experiences.

This program marks the first phase of integrating VR technology across Dubai Health hospitals and healthcare centers, with plans to extend its application into medical procedures at Al-Jalila Children’s Hospital and Latifa Hospital. Beyond immediate application at the Thalassemia Center, the program also focuses on developing novel VR environments and experiences tailored to the local needs of patients in Dubai. The long-term vision is to develop future iterations of AI-powered VR technology to further personalize the patient experience, a collaborative effort engaging both MBRU students and our clinical staff.

“This program is the first of many to showcase how digital solutions can improve patient care within Dubai Health,” said Dr. Yacine Hadijat, associate professor of innovation in health science and digital health at MBRU’s College of Medicine. “One of the inherent advantages of our integrated academic health system is the ability to cultivate a continuous cycle of improvement within our care, learning and discovery missions.”

By exploring digital innovations, such as VR technology, we are simultaneously training future healthcare professionals to champion patient-centered care and contribute toward the medical discovery of tech-enabled healthcare solutions. This multifaceted approach holds immense promise to transform the patient journey for countless individuals.”

In a world first, a UAE-owned company will be performing a live robotic surgery in Abu Dhabi on a model in South Korea, demonstrating the immense power of remote telerobotic surgery for emergency interventional procedures in cases like stroke and cardiovascular emergencies. 

XCath, an early-stage medical device company dedicated to expanding endovascular treatment robotic systems, owned in part by Sharjah-based Crescent Enterprises, will demonstrate a live robotic telesurgery on a model during Abu Dhabi Global Healthcare Week, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. 

The demonstration, to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center on May 15, will include a live telerobotic model trial procedure between Abu Dhabi and South Korea, demonstrating the XCath platform’s potential to support remote minimally invasive procedures for the management of acute neurovascular conditions. 

The demonstration will be held by Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira, director of endovascular research and innovation at St. Michael’s Hospital Toronto, Canada, who will conduct the procedure live on stage at ADNEC. 

“By enabling telerobotic procedures, we can provide a solution for reimagining complex care,” said Eduardo Fonseca, CEO of XCath. “Dr. Pereira is a pioneer in endovascular neurosurgery and shares our vision for advancing telerobotic treatment options, which has become a humanitarian and economic imperative for conditions such as stroke. The telerobotic model trial will demonstrate the viability of our platform as a solution to serving a need for new treatment options to expand access to care for patients globally.” 

In the session, XCath will introduce the company, navigation challenges, and an overview of its platform. XCath will also spotlight the transformative impact of the endovascular revolution for Abu Dhabi institutions, illustrating how advanced robotic treatments can purpose the UAE as a center for transformational clinical outcomes.

“This is a world-first model demonstration of a telerobotic procedure for emergency care coming from Abu Dhabi to the world,” said Neeraj Agrawal, executive director of Crescent Enterprises and XCath board member. “Crescent Enterprises is dedicated to enabling disruptive companies like XCath to foster growth and innovation in the Middle East, and this demonstration underscores the tangible progress and potential of venture capital investments from the region.” 

Dr. Pereira performed the world’s first robotic-assisted neurointerventional procedure in 2019, a stent-assisted coiling procedure to treat a large basilar aneurysm. He serves as a professor of surgery and medical imaging at the University of Toronto and is the lead scientist of the RADIS lab, which focuses on applying innovative technologies on the treatment of neurovascular diseases. 

Separately, EndoQuest Robotics, also partly owned by Crescent Enterprises, will demonstrate the world’s first Scar-Free Surgical Robot, and showcase the results of the first ever scar-free endoluminal trials. EQR will present, for the first time, the results of their global collaboration with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Cleveland Clinic Ohio, Harvard and IRCAD France.