Newsroom
07 Nov
2023

Quality HealthCare Supports Primary Healthcare Development and the “Family Doctor For All” Concept

Elaine Chu and Chow Yat

[Hong Kong – 7 November 2023] As a major primary healthcare provider in Hong Kong, Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited (QHMS) is committed to supporting the local primary healthcare Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme (CDCC Pilot Scheme) to be launched on 13 November 2023.  53 doctors of QHMS have participated in the scheme, representing almost one-fifth (16%) of the total number of participating doctors in Hong Kong. 

 

“We are dedicated to easing the strain on Hong Kong’s primary healthcare system and ensuring public access to healthcare services. Our commitment is reflected in our active support of the Government’s primary healthcare blueprint and chronic disease management initiative, emphasising a ‘Prediction, Prevention and Treatment’ approach,” said Elaine Chu, General Manager of QHMS. “Furthering our support to promote the ‘Family Doctor For All’ concept, we are also fully committed to facilitate the launch of the CDCC Pilot Scheme and development in the local primary healthcare services. Looking ahead, our goal is to expand assistance to patients through the CDCC Pilot Scheme and GOPC PPP, thereby reducing the burden on the public healthcare system.”

 

Primary healthcare in the post-pandemic era

 

QHMS has leveraged service feedback, data analysis and insightful observations to unveil three significant trends shaping primary healthcare needs in the post-pandemic era. These trends include the population aging phenomenon, family doctors to address the growing demand for chronic illness management and the lifelong electronic health record.

 

In response to the government’s promotion of the “Family Doctor For All” concept, 53 doctors from QHMS have registered to participate in the CDCC Pilot Scheme, providing screening services to Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus. This aims to support the prevention of diseases and management of chronic diseases at an early stage. 

 

QHMS recognises the instrumental role of digital technology in fostering a sustainable primary healthcare system. To this end, it has enhanced its patient portal, Quality HealthCare mobile app, in October embracing a comprehensive digital transformation process that combines online-to-offline solutions. The upgrade provides convenient access to information related to the CDCC Pilot Scheme, PPP, and related programmes, as well as checking the remaining balance of the Health Care Vouchers and the addition of personalised health assessment tools. As of September 2023, the mobile app has garnered over 300,000 user registrations, showcasing a remarkable growth of nearly double (92%) from 2020 to 2022.

 

In addition, QHMS is in support of the government's forthcoming "eHealth+" initiative, which aims to create personalised eHealth accounts for residents, centralising electronic medical records from both the public and private sectors. QHMS has established a system with "eHealth" to facilitate the exchange of records between the government and QHMS patients, enabling the sharing of medication history, drug allergy information, and vaccination records. With the patient's consent, relevant data will be uploaded to the electronic health system, granting healthcare providers to access to and share the patient’s medical records within the system for healthcare-related purposes.

 

“In the wake of the pandemic, heightened public awareness of health has reshaped the demand for primary healthcare services. With a steadfast commitment to meeting the diverse needs of citizens in our city, we continuously strive to improve and enhance our services. Our primary objective is to cater to the healthcare needs of patients and caretakers while effectively reducing the burden on Hong Kong’s healthcare system,” said Dr. Chow Yat, Executive Medical Director of QHMS.

 

Data reveals growing need in primary healthcare services

 

Doctors of QHMS promptly joined the GOPC PPP upon its launch in 2014. Over the past five years, the number of patients visiting QHMS for doctor consultations has nearly tripled, with a remarkable increase of 271% from 3,342 treatments in 2018 to 12,045 treatments in 2022. This highlights the continued demand within the community and evident success in alleviating the pressure on the Hospital Authority (HA) to deliver general outpatient clinic services. As of October 2023, a total of 3,108 patients have already benefited from the GOPC PPP by seeking doctor consultations at QHMS, representing an approximate 10% increase compared to the full year of 2022. It is anticipated that the number of patients served by QHMS’ doctors will continue to grow. 

 

Additionally, there has been a substantial surge in the uptake of non-COVID-19 vaccines from 2021 and 2022. In 2022/23, the number of individuals receiving seasonal influenza vaccines by doctors at QHMS through the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme reached 30,164, indicating a 35% year-on-year increase, nine percentage points higher than the overall 26% year-on-year increase in seasonal influenza vaccine uptake across Hong Kong[1]. Additionally, the number of individuals aged 65 or above receiving pneumococcal vaccines by QHMS’ doctors through the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme has surged to 1,516, equivalent to a rise of 85% in comparison to the previous year. This growth rate surpasses the government’s 53% increase in pneumococcal vaccines uptake among individuals aged 65 and above through the Government Vaccination Programme (GVP) and the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme[2].

 

Ms Chu added, “Digital technology in healthcare is revolutionising patient care by enhancing access to information, these advancements reflect a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of customers.”

 

In the future, QHMS will continue to prioritise alleviating the burden on the local primary healthcare system and promoting wellbeing for all. Through strategic utilisation of technology and fostering robust partnerships, QHMS is dedicated to delivering the necessary healthcare services to the local community, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier, happier lives.

 

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[1] “Statistics on Vaccination Programmes in the Past 3 years – Seasonal Influenza Vaccination” Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102226.html 

[2] “Statistics on Vaccination Programmes in the Past 3 years – Pneumococcal Vaccination” Centre for Health Protection, Department of Health, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/102226.html