The Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) has launched a smart application to facilitate communication between deaf and dumb patients and healthcare providers.
The smart App coverts sign language into audible speech and audible speech into sign language using deep neural networks (DNN). It would help healthcare professionals understand the health condition of the patient, who will also be able to figure out what is going on.
The App was launched by the ministry at the 45th Arab Health being held at Dubai World Trade Centre from January 27 to 30, in cooperation with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. It aims to help doctor diagnosis patients correctly and give the right medication accordingly, in the framework of ministry’s effort to provide high quality health care services and streamline communication between the patient and health care providers.
Empower People of Determination
HE Awad Al-Ketbi, Assistant Undersecretary of MoHAP’s Support Services Sector, stressed that the ministry of health is keen to harness artificial intelligence techniques to offer deaf and dumb patient advanced healthcare services of top-notch quality. “This is in line with the vision of our government to implement the National Policy to Empower People of Determination and give them priority in decisions and procedures in all government entities,” added Al-Ketbi.
Speaking on how the platform functions, Al-Ketbi said: “The App will help bridge the communication gap between medical team and patients. It reads patients’ expressions and turns them into an audible speech for doctors, through a highly intelligent digital translation. This would lead to a better utilization of patients’ capabilities and achieve social equality across our health facilities”.
Effective doctor–patient communication
For his part, Ali Alajmi, Director of Health Information Systems Department, highlighted that the smart platform will guarantee an effective doctor–patient communication by not only turning patients’ sign language into audible speech, but also transforming physicians’ advice, guidelines and words, prescriptions into a sign language that patients can understand.
Alajmi added: “The app is expected to help patients take their medication in the correct way, thus reducing medication errors and removing communication barriers. The translation process takes place in real time via algorithms and all it requires is a smart device camera, and an internet connection. The app can be used on multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or personal computers”.