Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health (DoH) has launched a training programme with the aim of enhancing cybersecurity practices among 58,000 health professionals in the emirate.

The initiative named Abu Dhabi Healthcare Cyberlearning Programme was started to build a secure digital infrastructure such that additional digital technologies can be used to strengthen the healthcare quality in the emirate.

According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the programme is held virtually to help healthcare professionals in understanding IT and cybersecurity standards as well as educate them on mutual potential risks. Furthermore, they are taught about various ways to mitigate the potential risks related to cybersecurity.

The programme will also raise awareness about the roles and responsibilities of individual members within the digital healthcare ecosystem along with highlighting best international practices related to patient data privacy and health information security.

As part of the programme, a series of workshops will be conducted in partnership with renowned academic institutions to improve the knowledge of trainees about information security.

Mitigate risks

Abdulla Al Sayari, acting manager of information and cybersecurity at the DoH, underlined that the DoH is moving towards a robust healthcare sector. However, critical focus must be paid to cybersecurity and enhancing the department's preparedness to deal with related risks in the most efficient and effective way.

"This move will further reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading hub for innovation and complement its outstanding response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Al Sayari added.

The DoH is utilising modern digital health technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to further boost the quality of healthcare services and maintain the wellbeing of all community members in the emirate.

He underlined the need for enhancing cybersecurity awareness in the dynamic world today. The programme will serve as a fundamental cornerstone for a comprehensive and sustainable framework to boost the awareness about cybercrime trends among healthcare professionals and empower them to effectively and safely address any digital threats or attacks. It will also maintain the security and privacy of patient data.

Aamen programme

The Abu Dhabi Healthcare Cyberlearning Programme is connected with the Aamen programme launched in November 2021 to evaluate healthcare facilities for their adherence to information security standards.

Aamen is aimed at providing the necessary support to achieve world-class patient data privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of health information in different formats. The programme also reviews the accuracy of relevant data and information as well as enhance its accessibility at all times.

SOURCE: Gulf News

LINK: https://gulfnews.com/uae/abu-dhabi-trains-58000-health-workers-in-cybersecurity-1.86336840