OBJECTIVES: Patients have been using public hospitals less than private hospitals in the Emirate of Dubai. In 2016, digital healthcare of public hospitals was launched in the Emirate of Dubai, allowing patients to book appointments, consult doctors and get prescriptions online. This study examines whether digital healthcare encourages more patients to choose public hospitals.

METHODS: With data of Dubai Annual Health Statistics from 2010 to 2021, the sample includes 6 public hospitals and 28 private hospitals. Hospital utilization is measured by average in-patient lengths and bed occupancy rates. Difference-in-difference is run to estimate the effect of digital healthcare on utilization between public and private hospitals before and after 2016. The analysis also explores the time marginal effect of digital healthcare on public hospital utilization.

RESULTS: Digital healthcare increases average stay in public hospitals by 4.61 days (p=0.001) and bed occupancy in public hospitals by 13.38% (p=0.001). In the marginal analysis, the effect of digital healthcare on average stay in public hospitals climbs with time, reaching the largest (6.02 days, p=0.006) in 2021. In contrast, the effect of digital healthcare on bed occupancy in public hospitals drops with time, from the largest (23.26%, p=0.009) in 2018 to the least (3.53%, p=0.003) in 2021.

CONCLUSIONS: Digital healthcare improves public hospital utilization in the Emirate of Dubai. The improved utilization is because patients can consult their health problems online first to get faster triages for public hospital services. With the improved utilization of public hospitals, digital healthcare contributes to the elimination of healthcare inequality and to the achievement of good health and wellbeing in the Emirate of Dubai.