novomind iAGENT optimizes medical appointment scheduling in Abu Dhabi’s clinics thanks to AI and WhatsApp channel

Appointments can be booked, and questions asked through the new WhatsApp service 24/7 without waiting times. The Chatbot, which is integrated into WhatsApp and SEHA HIS Cerner platform, ensures that the appointment booking service works automatically, even on public holidays and regardless of opening and working hours. The back-end integration of novomind iAGENT into the Cerner HIS health information system enables real-time access to the vaccination appointment and consultation calendars of doctors and hospital staff. This allows automated booking, modification, and cancellation of appointments.

Simple patient questions can also be answered by the digital assistant AI-based FAQ section, thus easing the workload for hospital staff.

At SEHA, said: “At SEHA, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and incorporating their feedback into our processes and services. Based on recent patient experience survey results, most of SEHA’s patients asked for self-services to help them easily manage their appointments and other services, particularly on one of the most popular social media apps on mobile phones – WhatsApp. The WhatsApp for Business feature is aligned to the patient portal and SEHA app, ensuring all appointments booked, changed, or cancelled are immediately reflected across those integral touchpoints.” Says Mr. Bader Al Qubaisi, Group Chief Information Officer, SEHA.

 “We are pleased that novomind iAGENT enables us to help many people get a doctor’s or vaccination appointment, for example against COVID-19, more quickly at the hospitals operated by SEHA, while at the same time easing the workload for hospital staff,” explains Hossam Amer, Managing Director of novomind MEA (Middle East and Africa), novomind AG’s Dubai-based subsidiary.
An official WhatsApp Business Solution provider since August 2018, novomind integrated the verified WhatsApp Business API as the channel of novomind iAGENT for the clinics’ appointment booking service. WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide, and it is widely used in the United Arab Emirates.

„At difficult times like these, people use WhatsApp more than ever to connect with and support their friends, family and communities, as well as to get medical advice and support during the pandemic. We are pleased to partner with SEHA to connect people to health services and to support vaccination efforts via WhatsApp. Together with partners like novomind we want to connect as many people around the world to vital medical services and accurate health information as possible”, says Ramez Shehadi, Managing Director for Facebook in the Middle East and North Africa.