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Homecare services at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) are undergoing a transformation with a multidisciplinary approach to care benefiting patients, according to Dr. Essa Mubarak Al Sulaiti, Medical Director of HMC’s Homecare Service Department.
"Each patient under our services is visited at home once a month by a team of three to five professionals, including nurses, a physician, a dietician and a physiotherapist, if needed. Normally, the visit lasts between 45 minutes to one hour for stable patients. Visits to patients can be more frequent if their health conditions so require, said Dr. Al Sulaiti.
According to Dr. Al Sulaiti, the internationally-accredited Homecare Service was initially based on nursing care with doctors only providing support to follow up on cases.
“However, 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. “We have started work on a comprehensive plan to improve the range of services provided to patients in their homes.”
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 also contributed to improvements in patient care.
“This cooperation has ensured the delivery of rapid care by the Ambulance Service physicians to our patients who are in need of urgent care in their homes and this has consequently reduced the number of hospital admissions,” he added.
He said this plan would see new Qatari physicians brought on board and increase the number of doctors serving in different specialties in the department, including general and geriatric and family medicine, to meet the increasing demand for homecare services.
Dr. Al Sulaiti described HMC’s homecare service as a model of delivering care to patients who do not require acute care, such as those suffering from pressure ulcers, outside of the hospital setting.
“This model of care helps ease pressure off the busy emergency departments, as well as in reducing the number of hospital admissions,” he explained. “During the visit, all required clinical examinations and a comprehensive review of the patient’s medications are done. Patients are also provided with any necessary vaccinations. The care team also requires one of the family members to be present during the visit to ensure proper communication about the patient.”
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.
“The Homecare Service at HMC has witnessed tremendous developments since its official launch in 2003, as we strive to provide our services in accordance with the highest international standards,” he said. “This has enabled us to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation in 2009 and 2012, and we are currently working on delivering more improvements to patient care services.”
