Healthcare providers are adopting artificial intelligence to streamline documentation, improve consultations and give doctors more time to focus on patients.
Private hospital groups in Abu Dhabi are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce administrative work and make healthcare consultations more patient focused. The technology is expected to help doctors spend less time typing notes and managing paperwork, allowing them to concentrate on conversations, medical assessments and treatment decisions.
The development was highlighted at the Future Health Summit 2026, where healthcare leaders discussed how digital technology could improve the delivery of medical services across the emirate.
AI to make consultations more personal
Christopher Habib, chief strategy officer at NMC Healthcare, told Gulf News that the organisation was developing a patient journey designed to give doctors more time for meaningful conversations instead of keeping them behind computer screens.
He explained that introducing AI was not the main objective. The priority was to reduce administrative demands on patients and clinicians while ensuring doctors had the information needed to make appropriate medical decisions.
Healthcare professionals regularly document consultations, review patient histories and update medical records. Although these tasks are essential, they can take up valuable time during appointments.
AI assisted documentation and automated workflows could help reduce repetitive administrative duties, enabling doctors to pay closer attention to patients’ concerns and explain their treatment options more clearly.
The aim is to make technology work in the background while keeping the consultation centred on the person receiving care.
How patients could benefit
Dr Mohammad Fityan, group chief medical officer at Burjeel Holdings, also highlighted the role of AI in clinical documentation and workflow automation.
According to Dr Fityan, these applications can improve efficiency and free up additional time for patient care. He stressed that AI should serve as an extra layer of support for healthcare teams rather than replace physicians or radiologists.
Patients could benefit from better coordination of medical information throughout their healthcare journey. When relevant records are available to the appropriate medical professionals, patients may face fewer delays and less unnecessary repetition when moving between services.
This could be particularly helpful for people who need regular follow up appointments or consultations with several specialists.
Better access to information can also help clinicians understand a patient’s medical history and make decisions with a clearer picture of their needs. However, the practical benefits will depend on how effectively hospitals integrate these systems into everyday clinical work.
Doctors will remain responsible for care
Despite the growing use of AI, medical expertise and professional judgement remain central to healthcare.
AI tools may assist with documentation, organise information and simplify routine processes, but doctors must continue to assess symptoms, interpret clinical findings and determine suitable treatment.
Hospitals must also ensure that medical information is handled responsibly and that technology supports accurate, safe and appropriate care.
Habib emphasised the importance of combining good data and AI with a doctor who understands a patient’s health over time. He said technology was not a substitute for good primary care.
His advice to residents was to establish a relationship with a trusted primary care physician, attend regular appointments and follow screening recommendations based on their age, medical history and individual risk factors.
Regular contact with a doctor can help people manage their health proactively instead of seeking medical advice only when they become unwell.
Abu Dhabi expands its healthcare ambitions
The adoption of AI forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider efforts to strengthen its healthcare system and expand access to advanced medical services.
Dr Fityan pointed to developments in genomics, precision medicine and clinical research, supported by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and partners across the sector.
These areas could support more personalised approaches to healthcare by helping professionals understand individual health risks and identify suitable prevention and treatment options.
Habib also highlighted Abu Dhabi’s investment in healthcare capacity and its efforts to bring healthcare, life sciences, technology and regulation closer together.
He noted that the emirate had built substantial healthcare capacity while continuing to invest in preventive medicine, genomics, precision medicine and AI.
For residents, these developments are intended to support better access to specialist expertise, earlier diagnosis and innovative treatments closer to home.
As hospitals introduce more AI-assisted systems, the key measure of success will be whether they improve the patient experience while maintaining the quality of medical care.
By reducing administrative tasks and making information easier to manage, healthcare providers hope to create consultations in which doctors can devote more attention to patients. The focus remains on using technology to support medical professionals and make healthcare more connected, efficient and personalised.
