In a stirring development, there has been the issuance of the first piece of federal legislation by the United Arab Emirates which addresses the provision of healthcare services remotely i.e. Telehealth Services.
Before the Federal Telehealth Regulations, by the Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors, an administrative resolution was issued in 2017, giving approval to the Regulations of Telehealth Care Services known as the Dubai Telehealth Regulations. Only to the Emirate of Dubai is the scope of the Dubai Telehealth Regulations is limited.
The general regulations known as general controls, as well as, the regulations were set out by the Federal Telehealth Regulations which are applicable to the different types of Telehealth Services provided exclusively in the United Arab Emirates, and the precise conditions, as well as, regulations referred to as the specific Controls applicable to specific, however, not essentially all of the Telehealth Services.
To all the establishments in which there is a provision of Telehealth Services, the general controls are applicable, as well as, to the Recipient of any Telehealth Services. Other than obtaining the relevant licenses from the expert authorities, each Telehealth Establishment has to adhere to the certain IT, technical, insurance, as well as, staff training requirements and has to apply the related working guidelines which are described in the Federal Telehealth Regulations.
For complying with the General Controls, a Recipient should also agree with the:
Receiving of Telehealth Services, having video, audio or any other type of recordings which are made as part of the Telehealth Service; and providing accurate and full information about her identity and condition, for maintaining the integrity of the Telehealth Service.
Other than the General Controls, Specific Controls applicable to certain Telehealth Services have also been set out by the Federal Telehealth Regulations.