Doha, 8 January, 2013: Patient care improvement activities led by healthcare teams across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) have received a boost with the Clinical Care Improvement Training Program (CCITP), a training program that helps HMC clinicians successfully execute clinical care improvement projects.

In recognition of the excellent work done by 28 healthcare teams throughout HMC under the program, the CCITP won the newly-introduced Managing Director's Award under HMC's Stars of Excellence staff awards and recognition program. Hanan Al Kuwari PhD, Managing Director of HMC, said the award was introduced to recognize "exceptional teams and projects that truly define innovation and commitment to the very highest standards of patient care and service delivery."

"The CCITP has had widespread impact across the organization. It is a project-based approach to teaching clinical quality improvement, and emphasizes skills development in addition to project achievement. Under the program, clinicians are taught practical tools for use in quality improvement initiatives, along with training in leadership, communication and research," said Dr Al Kuwari.

About 90 clinicians from 14 departments have been trained under the program, which was implemented in 2012. The CCITP aims through an environment of continuous learning to foster HMC physicians who are well-versed in and passionate about quality improvement. The program is designed to give physicians hands-on experience in using the tools of quality improvement through six days of theoretical and practical sessions, as well as intensive small-group coaching.

Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Director of Medical Education and program leader, expressed his appreciation for the support given to the program by senior corporate leaders, hospital medical directors, chairpersons and heads of clinical departments. "Quality is a never-ending journey, and we are grateful for the corporation-wide support to our efforts to promote the involvement of HMC clinicians in continuous quality improvement. The program is now in its third cycle and aspires to become bigger and better."

Program mentors include experts from HMC's Medical Administration and Medical Education Departments and quality improvement experts from Partners HealthCare of the Harvard system in Boston. Dr. Shakil Ahmed, Assistant Medical Director at HMC and one of the lead mentors, also noted that the program supports the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International LLC (ACGME-I), an international body which assesses and advances the quality of resident physicians' education through accreditation.

Using the skills learned from the program, each project team identified a particular challenge in patient care, and designed and executed a plan to resolve it and thus improve care. Twenty-eight projects across HMC hospitals were successfully completed. One of these projects involved increasing the early rehabilitation of patients in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Another involved reducing turnover time in the Hamad General Hospital Operating Theater with the aim of reducing waiting times for surgery.

Dr Al Khal pointed out that all these projects were led by physicians with the help and support of a multidisciplinary team of nurses and other staff members.

Dr Ahmed explained that the clinicians learned the soft skills of negotiation and communication with their colleagues in order to move the projects forward. "They also learned that to successfully carry out clinical process improvements, it is essential to work as a multidisciplinary team, and this team comprises nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other clinical disciplines." 

For more information, please contact: Joan Pauline Acevedo at jacevedo@hmc.org.qa

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About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the principal public healthcare provider for the State of Qatar. The Corporation manages eight hospitals along with further specialist clinical, educational and research facilities, and is growing in capacity each year around the diverse needs of the evolving population. HMC's ambition is to become an academic health system; a world leading center of excellence in clinical care, medical education and research that transforms into significant clinical advancements. 

HMC believes in excellence in healthcare, education and research with each supporting the other to provide world-class quality patient care in a safe and healing environment.

As well as four general hospitals situated in the most densely populated areas of Qatar, HMC also manages four specialist hospitals, looking after patients with the most prevalent conditions, including cancer, heart conditions, rehabilitation, and a hospital providing specialist treatment for women. HMC also operates the national Ambulance Service and a home healthcare service.

The Corporation was the first public healthcare system outside the United States to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for all hospitals simultaneously. JCI accreditation is based on quality and safety across all clinical and management functions.

HMC is also the first hospital system in the Middle East to achieve institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education - International (ACGME-I), which demonstrates excellence in the way medical graduates are trained through residency, internship and fellowship programs.

www.hamad.qa

Corporate Communications Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
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© Press Release 2013