The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has launched the Dubai Arthritis Registry (DAR), which will record the prevalence of six major musculoskeletal diseases including arthritis among patients at its hospitals.

The six diseases that are part of the registry include Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Soft Tissue Rheumatism, Vasculitis, Spondyloarthritis and Fibromyalgia, said a company statement.

Essa Al Maidoor, director general of the DHA, said that such registries are pertinent to understand the prevalence, pattern and treatment methods for diseases and are particularly important for research.

Dr Abdulrehman Al Jassmi, CEO of Dubai Hospital, said: “Musculoskeletal diseases are the second greatest cause of disability, globally.”

“Disabilities caused by musculoskeletal diseases has increased by 45 per cent in the years between 1990 and 2010. Due to all these factors, we are determined and committed to shedding light on musculoskeletal diseases and tabulating its prevalence and treatment methods to ensure further improved patient outcomes. The system we have implemented is highly advanced and offers several other features besides a simple registry,” he added.

Dr Jamal Al Saleh, head of Rheumatology at Dubai Hospital, said: “The system provides several benefits for health professionals. It helps in standardising the healthcare system by providing informative and documented medical record of patients with such diseases. It allows doctors to monitor individual and group patient progression.”

“The system will act as a research nucleus and has the option to filter search results based on inclusion of any criteria for any given research,” he stated.

Al Saleh said presently the registry was applicable for the government sector in Dubai and plans to expand it to other healthcare providers.

“The project is a result of our commitment towards our patients and is in line with the vision of the DHA to develop the health sector keeping in mind the welfare of all Dubai citizens.  Through this registry, our motto is “Keep them moving…keep Dubai growing,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service