Qatar’s first Patient Experience Forum opens

Qatar’s first Patient Experience Forum, which is considered one of the largest health care conferences in the region, opened yesterday in the presence of H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health. 

The two-day event, dedicated to enhancing the patient experience, has brought together more than 1,500 health care professionals at Sheraton Grand Hotel, Doha. 

Organised by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in partnership with internationally renowned US-based health care consultants Planetree Inc., the forum highlights the importance of involving patients, their families and caregivers, in every decision that impacts the care they receive.  

Commenting on the importance of patient-centred care, H E Dr  Al Kuwari said, “Great care is more than having highly qualified care teams, the latest technology, or the best services and new facilities — it is also about treating and interacting with patients in a way that respects their values, preferences, and needs.”  H E the Minister added, “The Patient Experience Forum is one of many initiatives we are engaging in as a health system in our journey towards a more patient-centred approach to care and a real, transformative partnership with patients,” she added. 

The Forum hosts 13 international and more than 30 regional and local health care and patient speakers. During the Forum a patient panel will feature current and former patients will share their experiences, as well as sessions on physician communication, the importance of building relationships with the community, and the role of technology in enhancing patient-centred care. 

“This is the largest gathering of professionals dedicated to ensuring that caring, kindness, and respect remain at the heart of health care delivery. In addition to the value of the educational program delivered by renowned speakers from around the world, a truly significant new individual credentialing programme is being unveiled, the Fellow in Person-Centered Care (FPCC),” said Dr Susan Frampton, President of Planetree International.
While, Dr Abdulla Al Ansari, Acting Chief Medical Officer at HMC and Nasser Al Naimi, Deputy Chief of Quality at HMC, Center for Patient Experience and Staff Experience (CPESE) and Director, Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute (HHQI) addressing a press conference held on the sidelines of the Forum drew particular attention to how HMC has enhanced patient experience. 

“We have trained almost 1000 staff to enhance individual competency in patient-centred care concepts and principles. Five pilot patient-centred care projects have experimented at different facilities of HMC. These pilot projects also included some patients and their families too. We heard their experience and suggestions, that made us look differently at health care. We plan to expand this patient-centred care method across all HMC facilities,” said Dr Al Ansari. 

“In health care now we don’t just provide care but it’s a two-way thing. We hear and learn from our patients and give them what they really want. So it has become individualized care, we try to give compassionate care to patients,” he added. 

Pilot patient-centred care projects have experimented at HMC’s Ambulatory Care Centre,  home care services, Enaya-long term care centre, private nursing and Communicable Disease Center. 

“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 values and preferences. This combined effort benefits both the patient and ultimately the health care system,” said  Al Naimi. A knowledge zone being held on the sidelines of Qatar’s first Patient Experience Forum and it features 16 organizations including the Ministry of Public Health, World Innovative Summit for Health and Primary Health Care Corporation. There are about 50 patient experience posters from across the region are also on display.