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Tribune News Network
Doha
THE Child Health Notebook, an initiative by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), has been expanded to private healthcare providers in Qatar as a step towards complete integration of the health system,with the aim of ensuring continuity of care for children in the country.
The initiative serves the national health priority of 'Integrated Model of High-Quality Care and Service Delivery', which is one of the 12 priorities outlined in the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2018-2022. It aims to ensure people receive well-coordinated care, delivered in a professional and safe environment at the appropriate level, underpinned by referral guidelines, care pathways and evidence-based practice.
The Child Health Notebook is a comprehensive record of the child's health, from birth up to five years, which parents can present at all healthcare facilities in Qatar, including government and private paediatric emergencies, clinics and hospitals. It can also be used abroad in order to share essential and accurate information with medical staff.
The notebook compiles the child's basic data as well as family history, vaccination, growth monitoring data and developmental progress of the child, in addition to the results of new born screening for metabolic disorders, among other details in an accessible way.
"The introduction of the Child Health Notebook in private hospitals is a step in the right direction towards health system integration. It is a patient-centred approach which ensures better care for children, no matter when or where the service is provided," said Dr Sadriya al Kohji, head of child and adolescent health at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and NHS Lead for 'Healthy Children and Adolescents' priority population.
The Notebook was launched in 2013 by the PHCC at its health centres and government hospitals, in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
The NHS 2018-2022 represents the vision for health in Qatar for the next five years. It outlines 12 health priorities, seven of which focus on priority populations, while five focus on system-wide improvements. It identifies 19 national health targets which the health system will aim to achieve by 2022.
