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Doha, Qatar, March 22, 2021 - Qatar Rehabilitation Institute (QRI) has launched the first rehabilitation helpline designed to make it easier for discharged patients to access follow up rehabilitation care and services.

Covering paediatric, adult and older adult rehabilitation services, the helpline is designed to simplify the process for patients to continue with their required rehabilitation care to support their recovery after leaving hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has said in a statement.

The Tawasol helpline is accessible on 40260400, from Sunday to Thursday, 7am to 3pm, for patients, family or other carers to request assistance directly from a QRI staff member in Arabic or English.

Dr Hanadi al-Hamad, medical director of QRI and national lead for Healthy Ageing, explains the importance of this helpline in promoting effective continuity of care: "Every day, our clinicians see patients who have experienced physical trauma following an accident, or neurological damage following a stroke or major surgery, or they have a debilitating chronic disease that impacts their ability to function independently in the community."

"Ongoing rehabilitation therapy is an important component of the patient’s recovery journey, not only during their hospital stay but also after they have been discharged from hospital. While we provide rehabilitative care to a broad spectrum of patients, we also have a significant number of patients who struggle to find their way within the healthcare system. For instance, some of our older patients experience more challenges in accessing the right follow-up care after they have been discharged. Our helpline will help address these challenges – not only will it help patients get follow up appointments for rehabilitative care but it will also enable patients aged 60 years and above to get an appointment with the new Geriatric Wellness Clinic," explained Dr al-Hamad.

Mashael Jassim, assistant executive director of Nursing, has led the efforts to establish the dedicated helpline to facilitate easier access and improve continuity of rehabilitation care and services. She said. "Our staff found that some patients experienced difficulties in continuing their rehabilitation care as outpatient clients after they were discharged. In some cases, patients did not understand what was needed to initiate necessary after care and the language barrier made it more difficult for them to seek help through the regular channels.

"Occasionally, the unavailability of treatment slots resulted in delays that could potentially have serious consequences on the patient’s recovery. Continuity of care and care co-ordination are important concepts that make significant contributions to how people experience health and related care."

Dr Fatma al-Kuwari, assistant chairperson of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, said: "The risk of delayed or discontinued rehabilitative care is that this may lead to relapse in the patient’s condition and possibly readmission to inpatient care. This is neither desirable or efficient for the patient and their family, nor for our facility – so, by enabling the right delivery of follow-up care, we can ensure better patient-centred care and operational performance."

Managed by HMC, QRI is located within Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City and is a state-of-the-art facility with international best practice expertise, the statement notes. The rehabilitative institute includes rehabilitation medicine services, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for all ages.

"The highly skilled team of clinicians and therapists deliver a personalised package of exceptional rehabilitative treatment and care in a healing environment that incorporates both mental and physical healing," it adds.

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Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: https://www.gulf-times.com

Date Posted: Monday, March 22, 2021