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HAAD issues new guidelines for healthcare sector

A new set of policy manuals was released today by the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the regulator of the healthcare sector in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, to improve the overall performance and outcomes of healthcare delivery in the emirate.

The new guidelines define the roles and responsibilities of the regulator (HAAD), providers (Public and Private), professionals, and payers (insurance companies), and their interactions. Under the Policy Manuals, standards add further definition around practice, establishing both acceptable minimum and aspirational levels.

According to HAAD, all entities operating in the health system in Abu Dhabi are required to comply with the Abu Dhabi Health Regulations. Each should work together to optimize access to high quality, appropriate access, cost-effective healthcare for individuals, and the population as a whole.

CEO of HAAD, Zaid Al Siksek, said: “The HAAD Policy Manuals Version 1.0 are a major milestone and achievement not only for HAAD, but for the health system in the emirate. With this work, we have laid down the foundation stone for the regulation of the health system in Abu Dhabi.”

“Our vision has guided the course of major reforms of the health system, and the HAAD Policy Manuals provide the necessary regulatory transparency and consistency to steer the course of future system reforms and to support achieving HAAD’s mission to ensure reliable excellence in healthcare,” he added.

All healthcare Providers, professionals and payers are expected to understand, implement and be in full compliance with the requirements mandated by the four policy manuals and supporting standards. The regulatory requirements mandated will be phased-in over a 12 month period from the date of publication.

The director of Strategy & Policy at HAAD, Dr. Oliver Harrison, said: “We have undertaken a comprehensive review of all federal and emirate based health laws and have simplified the Health Regulations for the emirate into two levels: Policies and Standards. The Health Regulations collectively translate federal UAE and Abu Dhabi Laws into a simple, practical set of tools to help drive compliance and improve quality and cost-effectiveness across the system.”

“In developing the health regulations, we took a systems approach and mapped out the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of the actors in the sector: providers, payers and the regulator HAAD; and importantly, the organisation of governance and interactions between the actors so as to ensure accessibility to healthcare for residents through quality driven system and sustainable cost levels. Our approach is based on evidence-based best practice to guide improvements whilst also providing the means to monitor and assess quality of the healthcare services,” Dr. Oliver added.

One of HAAD’s Strategic priorities is to increase private sector investment. The policy manuals contribute to achieving this priority by providing clarity on the regulatory structure and governance of the health system in Abu Dhabi. In addition, transparency and stability of regulations encourage investment as they assure a stable investment in which expectations on regulatory requirements and performance are stable over time, minimizing cost of change and limiting cost impact for the sector. Clarity and transparency on regulation are also important in terms of cost of compliance with regulations.

The Manager of Policy and Research department at HAAD, Dr. Wafa Al Adhami, said: “HAAD will monitor the effectiveness of the Policy Manuals in driving compliance, quality and cost-effectiveness, and will make changes progressively where these are required. An evaluation of implementation of the Policy Manuals will be undertaken by HAAD six months from the date of their publication, with the view to review, improve and strengthen, where necessary, their scope, effectiveness and enforcement.”

Review of and revision to the Policy Manuals will be conducted in consultation with stakeholders in accordance with the HAAD Consultative Framework detailed in the Healthcare Regulator Manual.