Doha: With an aim to enhance patients care, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has taken steps to constantly incorporate evidence-based research findings into services.
The goal of the initiative is to improve clinical decision-making and provide the best possible patient care, said Dr Hamda Abdulla Qotba (pictured), Clinical Research Director, Clinical Affairs Director at PHCC.
“All our research come with recommendations, so we can translate it into practice. Evidence-based research gives the information which can help to make decisions about patient care based on wide research, not opinion. It is important for both the institution and individuals to develop a culture that allows and encourages them to put evidence-based research into practice.” Dr Qotba told The Peninsula.
“We research about our services among the clinical, nonclinical staff and patients. Then get recommendations which help to refine or sustain the services depending on the need,” she added.
The Research Section at PHCC is involved in developing research policy, standard operating procedures (SOPs). It also ensures that research compliance through its coordination of the work of the Research Committee and the PHCC Independent Ethics Committee (IEC/IRB). The Research Section designs, undertakes and, coordinates all PHCC staff research training and capacity building in collaboration with the Department of Workforce Development and Training.
The research work at PHCC covers a wide range of priority areas.
“We have set up priorities for research and it includes noncommunicable diseases, communicable diseases, patient satisfaction and quality of care,” said Dr Qotba.
She also said that PHCC will soon announce research findings and recommendations of six topics including family medicine, vitamin D deficiency and reporting about communicable diseases.
The PHCC Scientific Research Conference which was held recently had several poster presentations. It included Epidemiology of influenza-like illness among children in Qatar, postnatal care at PHCC and clinical audit on cervical cancer.
