Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)’s commitment to enhance patient empowerment and improve care outcomes in support of the Qatar National Health Strategy has seen the successful completion of the second Clinical Health Coach training program. This year, over 70 nurses, patient educators, pharmacists and dieticians from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) completed the second round of training.
The novel program, first launched in 2019, is one of the joint initiatives between MoPH, HMC and PHCC, which is designed to enhance the ability of healthcare staff to motivate, empower and support patients to play an active role in managing their condition(s). The inaugural meeting included a leadership awareness session for clinical and non-clinical senior leaders and experts from all organizations who championed the initiative.
“The innovative practice of health coaching is essential to support positive behavior change and adopt a healthier lifestyle. This training program emphasizes a person-centered approach that is proven to enhance the health of people with multiple chronic conditions, and is the first public health initiative of its kind to be launched in the Middle East”, said Dr. Maryam Alemadi, National Lead for Improved Health for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions and Director of Clinical Operations at Primary Health Care Corporation.
The training program aligns fully with the national health outcome of “Improved Health for People with Multiple Chronic Conditions” outlined in Qatar’s National Health Strategy 2018-2022. One of the key objectives of this public health priority area is to empower patients with multiple chronic conditions with knowledge and skills to improve their own health. A leadership awareness session was held in Hajar auditorium with senior clinical and executive leadership from both PHCC and HMC whose participation demonstrated the importance of the program and their recognition of the value it adds to patients and staff.
“We are delighted to continue the growth of the Clinical Health Coaching Program in Qatar. This comprehensive training program serves a vital role in improving individual health, well-being and quality of life which will ultimately lead to enhanced community health”, said Mr. Mahmoud Al Raisi, Chief of Continuing Care Group at Hamad Medical Corporation. “The program is based on the concept that in order to promote effective population health, patients need to be properly engaged in their care, and that healthcare professionals can learn how to encourage their patients to be more involved in their care.”
Across the world, a significant percentage of populations live with one or more chronic conditions and primary and secondary healthcare providers face similar challenges in providing care for an increasing number of patients with chronic conditions, which often require complex solutions.
Dr. Ihab Ahmed Seoudi, Executive Director Clinical Program Development at HMC, explained the importance of effective communication between patient and healthcare professional: “The challenge for healthcare systems is that patients who are not engaged in their own care are less likely to have optimal treatment outcomes and more likely to need ongoing or additional treatment, which in turn adds to the burden on the healthcare system. This program has proven to be both useful and practical.”
The program encourages healthcare organizations to incorporate new models of care that aim to improve care coordination and the role of the “Clinical Health Coach®” is an important component of this transformation.
The Clinical Health Coaching program was delivered by Iowa Chronic Care Consortium (ICCC), an American non-profit organization partnering with HMC and PHC to provide population health programming and personalized health improvement strategies. The ICCC has trained more than 3,000 healthcare professionals in the United States making a positive and direct impact on chronic condition management.
Source: Ministry of Public Health