Page 104 - HA Convention 2015

Service Priorities and Programmes Free Papers

SPP1.1 Patient Empowerment 10:45 Room 221

Monday, 18 May The Engagement of Disease Management through an Innovative Patient Resource Corner in General Oupatient
Clinics of Hong Kong East Cluster
Wong MY 1, Chan KM 1,2, Chu WS 1, Wong YF 1, Leung WC 1, Leung WM 1, Kwan WY 1, Wong KW 1, Chow WP 1, Chiu MC 1,
Wong MY 2, Chan N 1
1Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care, 2Department of Community and Patient Resource,

Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong

Introduction

A group of family clinicians, primary care nurses and social workers formed a working group which supported a pilot project
to engage chronic disease patients, empower their self-management through an innovative Patient Resource Corner (PRc)
in the General Outpatient Clinics (GOPC) of Hong Kong East Cluster. Different from traditional resource kiosk or centre with
many leaflet racks and bookshelves, two desktop computers with a 42-inch touchscreen monitor are connected to a printer
in the PRc. Users can obtain health checks questionnaires, disease related and community resources information by simply
clicking on the screen or by scanning barcode cards distributed by doctors and nurses. The health information can then be
printed immediately for their education and future reference.

Objectives

(1) To raise patients’ concern on health protection and prevention of diseases; (2) to empower patients on better self-
management; (3) to navigate patient to appropriate community resources and service; (4) to engage volunteers in patient care
process; (5) to collaborate with patient groups; and (6) to offer facilities on simple self-help health checks questionnaires.

Methodology

(1) GOPC doctors have tailor-made over 100 sets of comprehensive and up-to-date disease related information, community
resources information and health checks questionnaires. All these information were uploaded to a specially designed system
which allows the PRC work group to publish, edit and modify them at any time. (2) The working group has highly involved in
the design of a user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy manipulation by elderly patients who have no expert knowledge
on IT technology. (3) Doctors can further engage patients to use the PRc with a barcode card system, making it simpler for
doctors to distribute specific information to patients, and easier for patients to receive the required health information. (4) The
PRc Volunteer Team is formed by a group of enthusiastic and energetic persons, who help to promote the PRc services and
support the patients.

Results

Between July to December 2014, over 9,000 users have used the facilities of PRc. In a survey involving 200 users of
PRc service, 99% “strongly agree” or “agree” that the information provided by PRc were useful and had enhanced their
knowledge on diseases and community resources. 99% “strongly agree” or “agree” the service of PRc had raised their
concern on health protection and empowering them for better self-management. GOPC doctors agreed that the use of the
innovative PRc made it easier to engage patients in disease management.

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