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Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Homecare Service Department has started work on a new plan to enhance home care services for patients.
HMC Homecare Service Department (HSD) Medical Director Dr. Essa Mubarak Al Sulaiti (pictured) said, "We have started work on a comprehensive plan to improve the range of services provided to patients in their homes."
Doctors now contribute to the development of homecare policies and decision-making processes, which has enhanced the quality of care and improved patient services, he said.
He said this plan would see new Qatari physicians brought on board and increase the number of doctors serving in different departments, including general and geriatric and family medicine, to meet the increasing demand for homecare services.
HSD has now adopted a multidisciplinary healthcare approach, he said.
"A team of three to five professionals, including nurses, a physician, a dietician and a physiotherapist visit each patient at home once a month," he said.
Dr. Al Sulaiti said the collaboration between the Homecare Service and HMC’s Mobile Doctor Service, comprising around 50 consultants led by the Ambulance Service team, has improved patient care.
"This model of care helps ease pressure off the busy emergency departments, as well as in reducing the number of hospital admissions," he said.
Started in 2003, homecare services are available daily from 7am to 3pm for elderly patients (those aged 60 and above) and children with chronic diseases and disabilities. Around 1,000 elderly patients and 70 children from across Qatar are currently being cared for under the service.
QNA
