The Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched a quality initiative dubbed "Focus Group", which features a group of people with health problems, gathering to exchange experiences and psychological support. The group includes a health educator or physician.
According to MOH, the initiative aims to promote social solidarity and to engage community members with chronic or rare diseases, or their families with healthcare providers to improve their physical, psychological and social health conditions, in addition to empowering them, as one of the important part of the process, to form groups of patients having the same disease or their families. These groups would meet, in the presence of a health educator to guide them during periodic meetings and scheduled activities at a predetermined place.
"These groups meet periodically at healthcare centers to discuss the disease and its symptoms, and ways to deal and live with it, and listen to success stories to overcome it. Currently, there are over 860 focus groups at the MOH's centers across the Kingdom, covering many health problems such as: diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, pediatric hyperactivity disorder, and others", adds MOH.
It is to be noted that the "focus group" is a scientific methodology that helps to reduce complications and increase psychological support. It is applied in many global health systems. It is also one of the primary healthcare development initiatives, and it aims to make connection between medical treatment and the need for emotional support where the members share their experiences with the disease and encourage each other.
MOH called on everyone to participate in these groups and support them, and invited them to visit its website to review the healthcare centers with focus groups.