Qatar’s first Patient Experience Forum, described as one of the largest healthcare conferences in the region, was officially launched yesterday by HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, during the Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare.
The Patient Experience Forum, taking place on November 16 and 17 in Doha, is expected to draw over 1,000 delegates from Qatar and across the region.
Delivered by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in partnership with internationally renowned US-based healthcare consultants Planetree Inc, the conference will highlight the importance of involving patients, and their families and caregivers, in every decision that impacts the care they receive.
Dr al-Kuwari said, “Great care is not just about having highly qualified care teams, the latest technology, or the best services and facilities – it is also about treating patients in the way they want to be treated. This means respecting their values,
preferences, and needs.”
“Ensuring that patients and their families are central to decision making related to their care is now recognised as a key component of high-quality healthcare. The launch of the Patient Experience Forum represents one of many initiatives that will help to propel us forward on our journey towards a more patient-centred approach to care and a real partnership with patients.”
Nasser al-Naimi, deputy chief of quality at HMC, Center for Patient Experience and Staff Experience (CPESE) and director, Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute said the decision to hold the forum not only highlights HMC’s continued commitment to providing its patients with the most effective and compassionate care but also underlines the growing importance of the role of patients, family members, and caregivers across the continuum of care.
“Patient-centred care is about doing things for the patient with the patient. Collaborating with patients, family members, and caregivers while addressing the patient’s medical needs helps us identify their expectations based on the patient’s individual values and preferences. This combined effort benefits both the patient and the healthcare system,” explained al-Naimi.
Dr al-Kuwari was updated on two other important patient experience initiatives – a mobile library for patients and a storybook describing the healthcare experience of patients from their own personal perspective.
Commenting on the establishment of the mobile library, al-Naimi noted, “The patient library, being piloted at Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, serves as a source of leisure and entertainment for patients during their hospital stay. Patients are able to select from a range of books by browsing through a catalog of multi-language book titles using an online library system managed by the hospital’s Nesma’ak team.”
Al-Naimi emphasised the importance of making the patient experience a positive one by explaining the role of the patient storybook, which was also on display at the Middle East Forum.
HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari at the launch ceremony yesterday.
