(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hosted a symposium to discuss international best practices and advances in community-based care.
Organised by the paediatric department at Hamad General Hospital (HGH), the event convened approximately 300 attendees, comprising of physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals from the United Kingdom, the United States and Qatar.
It highlighted the latest advances and updates in the field of home parenteral nutrition (HPN). It featured lectures and presentations covering the spectrum of services in HPN and emphasising the role of interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals in promoting successful outcomes.
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.
Dr Kamal Osman Hassan, head of the paediatric gastroenterology (GI) section at HGH, said, "HPN is generally provided by private home care companies. Since there were no such companies available in Qatar and the region, an innovative approach was developed by HMC in 2011 and was fully implemented last year. It is the first paediatric home care 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."
According to Dr Hassan, highly-specialised nurses conduct regular visits to patients' homes and provide round-the-clock assistance through a telephone helpline in order to ensure safe use of equipment and to provide any additional medical assistance and support required by families.
Commenting on the significance of the conference, he stated: "This conference stemmed from our ambition to provide the best possible care to the patients and families benefiting from the HPN programme. It served as a platform for international and local healthcare professionals working in this area to discuss international best practices and advances in community-based care, with the ultimate aim to improve the quality of life for patients."
The HPN service focuses on creating a positive experience for the young children receiving special nutrition as it diminishes many of the negative impacts of prolonged hospital stays, such as depression, anxiety, and delayed development.
One of the parents availing of the HPN service, Taghrid Yousif, mother of two-year-old Maab, commended the programme. "I am very thankful to HMC for all the support that they have extended to my daughter and our family under this service. We are now able to enjoy more quality time together since Maab doesn't need to stay under the supervision of the doctors. Nurses from HMC come to our home every week and monitor Maab's condition by performing the necessary tests. It is really comforting to have this kind of ongoing support," she said.
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