# Health Economic and Financing Group
**Source**: https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Research/RIMHS/HEFG
**Parent**: https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Research/RIMHS
- #### Overview
- #### Goals and Objectives
- #### Our Team
- #### Publications
- #### Highlights
- #### Collaborations
- #### Lines of Research
- #### Projects
- #### Awards
## Overview
The UAE government is committed to WHO's constitution stipulating that health is a basic right and is working towards the objectives of providing an accessible and equitable universal health care program for the country's population. However, since 1971, the lifestyle of the local population has shifted from a traditional and semi-nomadic way of life to an urbanized regime causing a subsequent change in the population's health and nature of illnesses in the country.\
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Nowadays, cardiovascular disease, cancers, road traffic accidents and occupational injuries, mental health illnesses, respiratory illness, and diabetes are the top health problems facing the country. These are also the primary causes of premature death worldwide. Apart from that, the rapid population growth in the UAE coupled with the vast diversity of the cultural background of the healthcare workforce is adding to the significant challenges that the government is facing to deliver efficient and effective health programs to improve the life of the population.
## Goals and Objectives
The Health Economics and Finance research group will focus on generating high-quality, world-class translational research that delivers appropriate evidence to decision-makers, enabling innovative health policy, practice and technology are designed, the right services are developed, and the right treatment and education are delivered to the population. \
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The research group will steer its investigation towards the socio-economic determinants of health, public health practices, and the delivery of cost-effective interventions that can improve health outcomes of the populations. It will also investigate how different government and social financing systems, organizational structures and processes, governance of medical technology enhance population health, quality of care, healthcare costs, and access to and utilization of health services.
#### Dr. Amina Al-Marzouqi
##### Research Group Coordinator
[amalmarzouqi@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:amalmarzouqi@sharjah.ac.ae)
#### Dr. Syed Aziz ur Rahman
##### Research Group Memebr
[syrahman@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:syrahman@sharjah.ac.ae)
#### Dr. Nabeel Al-Yateem
##### Research Group Member
[nalyateem@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:nalyateem@sharjah.ac.ae)
#### Dr.Heba Hesham Ali Hijazi
##### Research Group Member
[hhijazi@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:hhijazi@sharjah.ac.ae)
#### Dr. Alounoud Mohamed Hassan Almarzooqi
##### Research Group Memebr
[Alounoud.salman@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:Alounoud.salman@sharjah.ac.ae)
#### Dr. Ahmad Hossain
##### Research Group Member
[ahossain@sharjah.ac.ae](mailto:ahossain@sharjah.ac.ae)
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## Research Publications
### No Record Found
## Highlights
- Research focusing on leveraging Artificial Intelligence to enhance disease surveillance, predictive modeling, and data-driven decision-making in public health systems.
- Research Focuses on advancing Digital Health through innovative technologies and data-driven approaches to strengthen public health systems, enhance healthcare delivery, and improve population health outcomes.
- Improving the quality of healthcare services, patient safety, and experience.
- Ensuring value for money and sustainability of healthcare spending by advance technology and research methodologies.
- The use of innovative technological interventions to support the health of different patient populations in the UAE.
- The evaluation of the effectiveness of the primary healthcare service in the UAE.
- The effect of the multiple health regulatory systems in the UAE.
- Creating an effective ecological system for the healthcare sector in Dubai in collaboration with the private and public sectors.
## Collaborators
1. Marquette University , Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
2. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3. Charles Sturt University – Australia
4. University of Western Sydney – Australia
5. United Arab Emirates University -UAE
6. University College Dublin, School of Nursing Midwifery and Health Systems
7. Ajman University
8. Yarmouk University, Jordan
9. Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University, UAE.
10. Dubai Medical University
11. APOCP’s (Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention, West Asia Chapter, i.e West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention: 2nd Systematic Review – Meta Analysis Training Program: trained at least 10 interns on Systematic Review/ Meta Analysis and obtained 10 Scopus indexed Publications.
12. APOCP’s (Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention, West Asia Chapter, i.e West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention: The Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Internship program: Achieved 10 Scopus Indexed Publications.
13. IEEE COMPSAC: Annual Workshops: Digi-Health Workshops with10+ Publications Annually
## Line of Research
- Digital Health
- Artificial Intelligence in Education
- Dangers of Chat GPT in the classroom
- Ethical implication of using chat GPT in educational environments.
- Chatbots for University Students
- Using mobile technology to improve wellbeing and quality of life, with non-communicable diseases affecting young age in the UAE.
- Improving the quality of healthcare services, patient safety, and experience
- Ensuring value for money and sustainability of healthcare spending, including encouragement of private investment in healthcare
- The use of innovative technological interventions to support the health of different patient populations in the UAE.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of the primary healthcare service in the UAE.
- The effect of the multiple health regulatory systems in the UAE
## Projects
| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Project** | **Group Members Involved** | **Outcome** |
| Setting up 1st Digital Health Lab at University of Sharjah (In Process) | Internal Participant 1. Dr Amina Al Marzouqi 2. Dr Nbaeel Al Yateem 3. Dr Syed Azizur Rahman 4. Dr Said Salloum 5. Reshmi Raj | - To increase the effectiveness of providing evidence-based healthcare, digital health offers potential to connect "digital technology" with health, the healthcare industry, daily life, and society. - Development of Digital Health Lab will include and highlight the goals and objectives at international levels. Successful track performance of Publishing 10 Articles in Scopus Indexed Journals annually, with implementation of Digital Health lab, the number of publications is to increase. - The Digital Health Lab will utilize AI and advanced data analytics to generate actionable insights from patient data, improving diagnostic accuracy and personalized treatment options. - The lab will collaborate with international health organizations, fostering global research partnerships aimed at addressing critical healthcare challenges through digital innovation. - Cooperate with all the other Research Groups at Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS). Co-ordination with other colleges and departments to work together in University of Sharjah using Digital Health Lab. - By offering hands-on training in cutting-edge digital health technologies, the lab will equip healthcare professionals and researchers with the skills needed to navigate the evolving landscape of healthcare delivery. |
| IEEE COMPSAC CONFERENCE **3rd IEEE International Workshop on Digital and Public Health (DIGI-HEALTH 2025)** | The Health Economics and Financing Group organized a Digital Public Health workshop at the IEEE COMPSAC 2025 in Toronto. Dr. Amina, Dr. Syed Rahaman, and Dr. Nabeel served in key organizing and presenting roles, with Professor Iqbal on the advisory committee. The workshop was the most attended at the conference. | Health Economics and financing group organized in an international workshop on Digital-Public health in the IEEE COMPSAC conference held in Toronto, Canada – 2025. Dr. Amina was involved as Organizer, General Chair and presenter. Dr. Syed Rahaman participated in the conference as organizer, session chair, PC member and presenter. Dr. Nabeel as Organizer and PC member. External Professor Iqbal is the Standing Committee Vice Chair of the conference and main organizer of the IEEE COMPSAC international conference and in Advisory Committee of the workshop. Our workshop was recognized as most participated workshop in the conference. All 15 publications are Scopus indexed: | | | | --- | --- | | | An AI-IoT Framework for Handwritten and Multilingual Prescription Interpretation with Timely Medication Reminder Support | | | Tele-ICU Nursing in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Opportunities | | | Clustering effect on cancer molecular subtype classification | | | Exploring knowledge and awareness of Artificial Intelligence among students in the College of Health Sciences | | | Could Artificial Intelligence and Gamification support the professional development of maternal care providers in low resourced settings? An Exploratory Pilot Study | | | Technology Utilization in Nursing Care Plans Documentation Record: A Scoping Review | | | Digital Disruption: Investigating the Effects of Nighttime Technology Use on Researchers’ Sleep Quality and Psychological Wellbeing | | | Statistical Analysis of Food, Exercise, and HbA1c in Non-Diabetics | | | Towards a Voice-Adaptive LLM-Based Conversation Bot for Enhanced User Interaction | | | Federated Learning in Healthcare: Improving Patient Outcomes and Securing Sensitive Health Data | | | eHealth Mobile Specialist Practice Enabled by Open RAN in Remote Regions of Brazil | | | All the World is a Digital Stage: A proposed hybrid model for the use of digital storytelling and simulated clinical actors within nurse education at the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. | | | Heart Attack Risk Prediction Using Spiking Neural Networks with Poisson-Based Temporal Encoding | | | Trustworthiness Features of Commercially Available Mobile Health (mHealth) Applications | | | Parental Quality of Life in Childhood Cancer: The Influence of Father Involvement and Social Support | |
| IEEE-COMPSAC Conference. 2nd International workshop on Digital and Public Health (Digi-Health Workshop) | The Health Economics and Financing Group organized a Digital Public Health workshop at IEEE COMPSAC in Osaka, with key organizers role served by Dr. Amina, Dr. Nabeel, Dr. Syed Rahaman. This workshop, supported by Professor Iqbal, was the most attended, producing 10 Scopus-indexed papers. | Organizers and Presenters of the 2nd DIGI-HEALTH workshop at IEEE COMPSAC Conference. Published 10 Scopus Indexed Papers: 1. Hossain et al., "Assessing the Efficacy of Telephone Telemedicine in Enhancing Follow-up Visits for Non-Adherence Hypertensive Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Bangladesh," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1929-1933, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00306. 2. S. A. Rahman, K. Obaideen, M. AlShabi and N. Al-Yateem, "Enhancing Mental Health Care with the Kalman Filter: Predictions, Monitoring, and Personalization," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1872-1876, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00297. 3. Almarzouqi, A. Bettayeb, S. A. Rahman, S. Salloum and N. Al-Yateem, "Exploring New Horizons in Dental Education: Leveraging AI and the Metaverse for Innovative Learning Strategies," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1881-1886, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00298. 4. M. A. Islam, A. Hossain and S. A. Rahman, "Factors Influencing Public Trust in Emergency Health Helplines in Bangladesh," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1907-1912, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00302. 5. M. A. Subu et al., "Implementing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Technology in Hospital Setting: A Qualitative Study," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1913-1919, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00303. 6. M. A. Subu et al., "An Exploration of E-Puskesmas Technology Application in Indonesian Public Health Centers: A Qualitative Study," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1920-1926, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00304. 7. S. Marianna et al., "Nurses' Perceptions about Champs Tool Trials In The Pediatric Ward," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1941-1944, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00308. 8. Harby et al., "Revolutionizing Healthcare Management: Architecture of a Web-based Medical Triage Service," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1887-1894, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00299. 9. Y. Chen et al., "Assist-Bot: A Voice-Enabled Assistant for Seniors," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1901-1906, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00301. 10. F. R. Ahmed et al., "Health Sciences students and educators experience with using ChatGPT," 2024 IEEE 48th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Osaka, Japan, 2024, pp. 1926-1928, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC61105.2024.00305. |
| DIGI-HEALTH 2023: The 1st IEEE International Workshop on Digital and Public Health | Internal 1. Dr Amina Al Marzouqi( Official Chair) 2. Dr Nbaeel Al Yateem (Track Chair) 3. Dr Syed Azizur Rahman (Track Chair) External 1. Shaikh Iqbal Ahmad | Organizers and Presenters of the 1st DIGI-HEALTH workshop at IEEE COMPSAC Conference. Published 10 Scopus Indexed Papers: 1. A. Hossain, et al., "Positive Perception of Self-Medication Practice and Cyberchondria Behavior Among Adults in Bangladesh," in 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023 pp. 1404-1407. doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00214 2. N. Nasir et al., "Review of Machine Learning Advancements for Single-Cell Analysis," 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023, pp. 1383-1387, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00210 3. A. Saifan, et al., "Telehealth in Cardiovascular Diseases: Reflections on Its Usability in the Jordanian Context," in 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023 pp. 978-980. doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00136 4. H. Hijazi, et al., "Virtual Learning and Pervasiveness of Depression Among University Students in the UAE," in 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023 pp. 993-995. doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00143 5. S. Ismail et al., "Using robotic technology in intensive care units: A qualitative exploration of nurses’ perspective in Indonesia," 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023, pp. 1394-1397, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00212. 6. Mclaughlin EJ, Ellett LC, Readman E, Mooney S. Telehealth for gynaecology outpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic: Patient and clinician experiences. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022 Aug;62(4):553-559. 7. M. A. Subu et al., "Smartphone Addiction and Mental Health Wellbeing Among Indonesian Adolescents," 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023, pp. 1408-1411, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00215 8. F. Refaat Ahmed et al., "Usability differences of telehealth technologies by Multi-linguistic and Multi-cultural users in UAE," 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023, pp. 569-573, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00082. 9. Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine 10. M. Yousef Alkhawaldeh et al., "OB-GYN Telehealth Access and Utilization During COVID-19: Racial and Sociodemographic Disparities," 2023 IEEE 47th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC), Torino, Italy, 2023, pp. 564-568, doi: 10.1109/COMPSAC57700.2023.00081. |
## Awards
1. Hamdan Grant Award
2. UOS- Chancellor's Award for Outstanding services in COVID-19
3. UOS- 2nd among the UAE National Researchers Award