Patient Confidentiality and Health Data Protection Course (UAE)

What you will learn

• Explain the legal, regulatory and ethical foundations of patient confidentiality in the UAE.
• Describe the key duties in Federal Law No. (2) of 2019, including confidentiality, data localisation and 25-year retention, and the place of the Personal Data Protection Law.
• Identify the confidentiality and data standards of your own licensing authority (DHA, DOH, MOHAP or SHA) and where they differ.
• Apply need-to-know and minimum-necessary principles when accessing and sharing information, including through Malaffi, NABIDH and Riayati.
• Decide whether a disclosure without consent is lawful by matching it to the gateways in Federal Decree-Law No. (4) of 2016 and Federal Law No. (2) of 2019.
• Respond correctly to requests from families, spouses, sponsors, employers, insurers, police and courts.
• Recognise when safeguarding and public-health reporting duties require disclosure.
• Use secure, approved channels and avoid unsafe use of personal devices, messaging apps, cloud and AI tools, and social media.
• Respond to a confidentiality breach by containing, reporting, recording and reflecting, and describe how licensing authorities deal with breaches.
• Write a reflective account that demonstrates insight and planned remediation.

Syllabus

10 sections, about 2 learning hours, 20-question final assessment

1. 1Confidentiality and health data in UAE practice2 lessons

   • Why confidentiality matters in UAE healthcare
   • Key terms: confidentiality, privacy, health data and security
2. 2The UAE legal and regulatory framework3 lessons

   • Federal law: the Health Data Law, Medical Liability law and profession laws
   • Emirate standards: DHA, DOH, MOHAP and Sharjah
   • Where federal and emirate rules differ
3. 3Using and sharing information for care3 lessons

   • Sharing within the care team and the electronic record
   • Malaffi, NABIDH and Riayati: health information exchanges
   • Patients' rights over their information, retention and records
4. 4Disclosure without consent, families and safeguarding3 lessons

   • The lawful gateways for disclosure
   • Families, spouses, sponsors and interpreters
   • Police, courts, public health and safeguarding
5. 5Employers, insurers and other third parties3 lessons

   • Employers, sick leave and occupational health
   • Insurers, claims and third-party administrators
   • VIP patients, media enquiries and colleagues as patients
6. 6Information security, messaging and social media3 lessons

   • Everyday information security: ADHICS and your workstation
   • WhatsApp, personal phones, cloud tools and AI
   • Social media, conversations and public spaces
7. 7Breaches, regulatory consequences and remediation3 lessons

   • Recognising and responding to a breach
   • How licensing authorities and committees respond
   • Showing insight and building lasting confidentiality habits
8. 8Conclusion and key points1 lesson

   • Conclusion and key points
9. 9References and further reading1 lesson

   • References and further reading
10. 10Your reflective account1 lesson

    • Your reflective account

Course facts

CPD value

Approximately 2 learning hours (self-directed CPD, including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)

Audience

Licensed healthcare professionals in the UAE in all professions: doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR

Standards covered

Federal Law No. 2 of 2019 (ICT in Health Fields) and Cabinet Resolution No. 32 of 2020; Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2016 (Art. 5) and Cabinet Resolution No. 40 of 2019 (Art. 6); Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL); Federal Laws No. 5 of 2019 and No. 6 of 2023; Ministerial Resolution No. 14 of 2021 (Patient's Rights and Responsibilities Charter); DHA Code of Ethics ST-66 (2025); DHA Standards for Health Information Consent and Access Control (2025); NABIDH policies; Dubai ECR No. 49 of 2024; ADHICS V2 (2024); DOH Malaffi policy; Riayati; Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2024 (domestic violence)

Format

Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, UAE case studies and reflection

Assessment

20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)

Outcome

Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your professional development portfolio

Alignment

Supports reflection on the DHA Code of Ethics standard on privacy, confidentiality and data protection (Standard 5), the DHA Health Information Consent and Access Control Standards, ADHICS V2 and the Malaffi policy (DOH), and the confidentiality duties in federal law applied by MOHAP and SHA

Price

AED 349

Who this course is for

Doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied health professionals licensed by MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR.

Written for professionals licensed by any UAE authority: MOHAP, DHA, DOH, SHA or DHCR. Where the rules differ, the course explains the difference.