(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently hosted a symposium to discuss international best practices and advances in community-based care and focused more on Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN).
Parenteral nutrition is a special life-saving approach used to provide intravenous nutrition to individuals whose digestive systems are unable to absorb, or tolerate, adequate food eaten by mouth. Once the child is stable and no longer needs hospitalisation, the recommendation is to provide parenteral nutrition at home by the HPN service. HPN involves training the families and caregivers to administer this form of nutrition using portable pumps.
Organised by the Pediatric Department at Hamad General Hospital (HGH), the event convened approximately 300 attendees, comprising physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals and highlighted the latest advances and updates in the field of Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN). It featured state-of-the-art lectures and presentations from local and international speakers covering the spectrum of services in HPN and emphasising the role of interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals in promoting successful outcomes.
Dr Kamal Osman Hassan, head of the Paediatric gastroenterology (GI) section at HGH and the chief organiser of the conference said, "HPN is generally provided by private homecare companies. Since there were no such companies in Qatar and the region, an innovative approach was developed by HMC in 2011 and was fully implemented last year. It is the first pediatric homecare service to be introduced in the Gulf region.
Under the programme, long-term paediatric patients receiving intravenous nutrition at the hospital are transferred to their homes once their parents and caregivers are adequately trained and educated about how to use the specialised feeding equipment."
"Highly-specialised nurses from HMC's Home Healthcare Service conduct regular visits to patients' homes and provide round-the-clock assistance through a telephone helpline in order to ensure safe use of the equipment and to provide any additional medical assistance and support required by families," he added.
According to Dr Hassan, the HPN service focuses on creating a positive experience for the young children receiving this special nutrition as it diminishes many of the negative affects of prolonged hospital stays, such as depression, anxiety, and delayed development.
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