Realizing telemedicine advantages at the national level: cases from the United Arab Emirates.

This research was initiated to explore telemedicine adoption and diffusion in healthcare organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Research on telemedicine applications in the UAE focused on two main areas. First, it was revealed that the telemedicine application was not extensively employed in the UAE. There are no self-initiated telemedicine networks or specialty telemedicine centers in the UAE. A study was conducted on the perceptions of UAE healthcare professional concerning their attitudes and behavior toward adopting the telemedicine technology in their organizations, using a theoretical construct extended from the technological innovation literature. Second, existing telemedicine activities were initiated in cooperation with the Mayo Clinic. These consist of multimedia telemedicine systems for second opinion tele-consultations. The effectiveness of this approach has also been examined. The research discusses the findings in the light of the overall literature, highlighting further implications and suggesting ways where telemedicine could be applied in the UAE. There is still much growth and opportunity for self-governed specialty telemedicine systems and networks in the UAE.