title: The Kuwait-Scotland eHealth Innovation Network (KSeHIN): a sustainable approach to quality improvement in healthcare.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes in Kuwait represents a significant challenge for the country's healthcare system. Diabetes care in Scotland has improved by adopting a system of managed clinical networks supported by a national informatics platform. In 2010, a Kuwait-Dundee collaboration was established with a view to transforming diabetes care in Kuwait. This paper describes the significant progress that has been made to date.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Kuwait-Scotland eHealth Innovation Network (KSeHIN) is a partnership among health, education, industry and government. KSeHIN aims to deliver a package of clinical service development, education (including a formal postgraduate programme and continuing professional development) and research underpinned by a comprehensive informatics system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The informatics system includes a disease registry for children and adults with diabetes. At the patient level, the system provides an overview of clinical and operational data. At the population level, users view key performance indicators based on national standards of diabetes care established by KSeHIN. The national childhood registry (CODeR) accumulates approximately 300 children a year. The adult registry (KHN), implemented in four primary healthcare centres in 2013, has approximately 4000 registered patients, most of whom are not yet meeting national clinical targets. A credit-bearing postgraduate educational programme provides module-based teaching and workplace-based projects. In addition, a new clinical skills centre provides simulator-based training. Over 150 masters students from throughout Kuwait are enrolled and over 400 work-based projects have been completed to date.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  KSeHIN represents a successful collaboration between multiple stakeholders working across traditional boundaries. It is targeting patient outcomes, system performance and professional development to provide a sustainable transformation in the quality of diabetes healthcare for the growing population of Kuwaitis with diabetes in Kuwait.
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK; Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK; Child Health, MACHS Building, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, DD1 9SY. n.z.conway@dundee.ac.uk.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
authors.forename: R Al
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wotayan
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alkuzam
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Al-Refaei
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Badawi
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barake
authors.affiliation: Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.affiliation: NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emslie-Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Halawa
authors.affiliation: Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Judson
authors.affiliation: Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ker
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaltout
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sukkar
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK; Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wake
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK; Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Aridhia Informatics Ltd, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbald
authors.affiliation: Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Behbehani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D004500:Education, Graduate; D006265:Health Care Coalitions / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007391:International Cooperation; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D012042:Registries; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology