The Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) jointly organised the first online continuous professional development webinar about suspected lung cancer referral guidelines on a Qatari digital platform, MasterBadge MEET, with 200 primary healthcare providers, nurses and allied health practitioners from both the government and private health sectors.
Dr Hadi Mohamed Abu Rasheed, head of Professional Development and Scientific Research Department at QCS, said: “Based on the strategic partnership with HMC, the communication team at Hamad Medical Corporation will promote the activities of the continuous medical education of QCS on the digital platforms and newsletters of HMC to increase the opportunities for the medical staff to benefit from the QCS’s continuing medical education programmes.”
During the webinar, the latest lung cancer statistics globally and locally were presented. According to the Qatar National Cancer Registry, Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) - 2016, lung cancer was the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Qatar in 2016 and the first death-causing cancer. The survival rate from 2013 until 2016 was 24.24%, he added.
The Qatar National Cancer Programme survey in May 2016 showed that 68% of health experts in Qatar recommended that future investment should be placed in capacity building in the area of cancer for primary healthcare providers and the community health workforce, explaining that the national cancer programme recommended this could be supported by existing programmes, such as those run by QCS.
Dr Mohamed Ussama al-Homsi, senior consultant of Medical Oncology and deputy medical director of Clinical Education, Research and Quality at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), HMC, said: “We are always grateful to work in partnership with QCS. Their support enables us to ensure that we reach across healthcare providers in Qatar in the interests of the whole population. This webinar supports the continuing path to providing excellence in cancer care in the county.”
Dr Reyad Mohsen, senior consultant of Medical Oncology at NCCCR and chair of the Thoracic Cancers National Clinical Advisory Group - MoPH, added: “This webinar aims to provide the participants with practical knowledge about lung cancers, and the early signs and symptoms, in order to determine when a patient should be referred as a suspected case of cancer by doing accurate referral and following up on the pathways for suspected lung cancer cases. In some cases, there may be a need to request for initial diagnostic and management approaches for suspected lung cancer cases at the level of primary care.”
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