DOHA: Many physicians who have completed quality improvement projects at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Clinical Care Improvement Training Programme have graduated.
The four-month classroom course and intensive small-group coaching taught physicians key tools for quality improvement and guided them to design and undertake their quality improvement projects in various departments.
More than 40 physicians from 18 clinical departments participated in the course, using skills taught to design unique approaches to problems in their departments.
The programme is an initiative between medical administration and medical education departments and has become an important platform to improve patient care, winning the Managing Director’s Special Award at the Stars of Excellence ceremony in October 2012.
Eighteen projects from the sixth cycle were showcased during the graduation ceremony, attended by Professor Michael Richmond, Acting Chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs, HMC.
Problems tackled included reducing infection rates, improving hand-overs and examination documentation, patient satisfaction and issues that have valuable impacts on HMC. Programme Manager, Dr Reham Negmeldin, said, “The programme was tailored to bring in physicians to lead quality improvement. The first cycle happened in 2012 and we had at that time thought that we could hardly go for one or two cycles because we felt we wouldn’t get enough physicians to take part.
“However, it has been better with every cycle than we thought. Physicians are getting inspired, they are exceeding our expectations, they are leading, they are learning.
“They are enjoying what they are doing by spreading the knowledge to their team members. And some are coming back as coaches for new teams.” She said the programme is being aligned with bigger projects like the newly launched Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute and the clinical fellowship programme offered by Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Up to 220 physicians from all eight HMC hospitals have been trained over the past six cycles, taking part in around 93 projects in all disciplines. Thirty-eight coaches have also been trained to assist participants.
The programme’s Coach of the Coaches, Dr Sajith Pillai, said coaching is one of the three pillars that make the programme work. “We have participants joining as coaches and this is a voluntary effort by physicians outside their regular duties. They come in because they enjoy coaching under the programme.
“We provide training to coaches to cope with all issues concerning the programme. We provide them with conflict management and leadership skills. Coaches also get certificates and continuing medical education points. We provide training to them as well,” he said, adding HMC is always looking at opportunities to get more advanced certified training for committed coaches who will be given additional support to improve their skills.
The programme begins its seventh cycle in September.
The Peninsula
