Sidra Medicine piloted a virtual training program for healthcare professionals as part of its commitment to support a nationally integrated clinical network. The program was developed in partnership with the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) to advance medical education opportunities as well as collaborative efforts between different healthcare providers.
This is the first time that the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) has accredited healthcare inter-provider virtual training in the country. The program is also in alignment with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to provide efficient public services and integrated health care in Qatar.
The first pilot session was delivered to PHCC in late May with live broadcasting reaching four PHCC sites simultaneously across Doha, Al Khor, and Duhail regions. The session was led by Dr. Jai P. Udassi, the Acting Division Chief of Critical Care Medicine and Director of Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care at Sidra Medicine. Dr. Udassi is also an Associate Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
The highly interactive session focused on distinguishing between pediatric heart sounds and murmurs that can be treated under primary care and those that can be referred to specialist care. This is to help primary care doctors – who are most often the first point of contact for patients – to differentiate between cases that can be handled at their clinics and those that will need to be referred to specialists at Sidra Medicine. This distinction is important for increasing community-based care, as it enhances patient convenience and resource efficiency.
“The pathway to a nationally integrated clinical network depends on collaboration. Sidra Medicine is pleased to partner with PHCC and QCHP to play a role in enhancing community-based care – one of the objectives of the National Primary Care Strategy 2013-2018. Two way dialogue is very important between the primary care provider and the specialist, in order to understand patient needs and provide safe care in a timely manner. I strongly believe that all healthcare providers in Qatar have to work as a team in order to provide best evidence based care. In addition it is important to know what community resources are available across the network to ensure routine health checks, follow up and continuity of care,” said Dr. Udassi.
Sidra Medicine and PHCC participants also exchanged international best practices and reviewed clinical approaches to enhance patient care in Qatar as well as service integration opportunities between Sidra Medicine and PHCC.
“The benefit of virtual training is that it allows participants from across the country to join the session from the comfort of their offices or homes – thereby maximizing participation while minimizing time away from clinical care. It was very good to be able to communicate with the community healthcare providers and be able to exchange knowledge without having to leave my office,” Dr. Udassi continued.
Sidra Medicine will offer more sessions in the future to continue supporting medical education, innovation and inter-provider collaboration within the nation’s healthcare network.