His Excellency the Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, affirmed that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has adopted the inclusion of home medicine within the Ministry's developmental strategy and plans; inasmuch as the program is basically meant to provide safe healthcare for those patients in need of medical follow-up at home, without hospitalization.
This concept is widely embraced in many advanced countries around the world, and it proved success in the communities adopting this sort of medical service.
Meanwhile, he wished success for all colleagues responsible for the program at the Ministry and health regions, such that ensures citizens' satisfaction, and fulfills the Leadership's aspirations.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah made this affirmation in his word published as a preface for the Home Medicine Guide issued by the MOH Home Healthcare General Department.
For his part, the Director-General of MOH Home Medicine, Dr. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Huzaim, pointed out that the Home Medicine Program seeks to provide health services for patients at their homes, in conformity to the approved standards of home healthcare provision, maintaining close coordination between the physician, the nursing staff, the physiotherapist, the social worker and the health educationist, in an endeavor to provide appropriate health services for patients, according to certain policies and procedures. In doing so, the health-service providers can offer a variety of health system and programs which ensure patients' satisfaction.
The program is intended to provide healthcare services for patients at their homes, thus promoting their safety and contentment among their families, without hospitalization, and helping them reach physiological, mental, rehabilitative and social recovery.
In addition, the program aims at protecting patients from the infection that could be triggered by the long stay at hospitals, as well as reducing the hardships the family and relatives face when visiting patients at hospitals.
That's to be added to reducing the intensity of patients at hospital and emergency section, and raising people's awareness through the medical crew while providing the service. Among the objectives appointed to the program, also, is facilitating needy patients' having medical devices, in coordination with the competent authorities (governmental and private sectors, and charities), as well as ensuring optimal expenditure of hospital operation, and controlling the repetitive hospitalization of aged people and those suffering from chronic diseases.
Dr. Al-Huzaim went on to say, “With the numerous health services it offers, the Home Medicine Program targets various segments, including post-surgery patients, cancer patients, patients who had car accidents or head injuries, bedridden patients, especially those who have bed sores, respiratory patients, in addition to diabetics, and people in need of social services.”
He further explained that the conditions of admission into the program includes a referral request to the Home Medicine Program, submitted by the physician.
The patient should be one of those covered by the program, and he has to be residing at no less distance than 50 km from the hospital. Besides, the householder will have to accept the medical team's visits to a certain schedule.
Also, a proper environment for the healthcare deliverance at home should be provided. One of the conditions of admission into the Home Medicine Program, also, is the availability of family member to look after the patient permanently.
According to Dr. Al-Huzaim, the treatment and follow-up services provided for diabetics and patients with hypertension rank first (22.28%) among the services provided under the Home Medicine Program.
In the second place come the mental and social support services (11.80%), which are followed by the heal of wounds, bed sores and diabetic foot (9.11%), and then physiotherapy services (6.26%), and then the urinary catheter (3.50%), and then parenteral nutrition (2.84%), and, finally, respiratory treatment (2.3%).
He made clear that the program places particular emphasis on health education services, which make up 39.42% of the health services provided by the program. Chronic diseases (diabetes and hypertension) rank first among all the diseases covered by the program (31%).
They are followed by aging diseases (18%), and then stroke and paralysis (14%), and then wounds and ulcers (11%), and then psychiatric and neurological diseases (10%), and then chronic respiratory diseases and urinary tract diseases (each 5%).
It is noteworthy, the medical crew assigned to offer home medical services consists of a physician, nurses, respiratory therapist, nutritionist, health educationist, psychiatrist, social worker, physiotherapist, data entry worker, and communications coordinator.