Below is a noteworthy content stipulated in Official Dispatch 4731/SYT-NVY of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health regarding the implementation of home medical examination and treatment for the elderly and individuals with chronic diseases during the ongoing epidemic phase.
Article table of contents
URGENT: Implementing Medical Examination and Treatment at Home for the Elderly and Chronically Ill (Illustrative Image)
To facilitate the best health care for the elderly and chronically ill during the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health is implementing home medical examination and treatment for the elderly and those with chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically:
- Eligible subjects for home medical examination and treatment
- Elderly people as defined by the Law on the Elderly (people aged 60 and above) who have health issues;
- Those with chronic diseases who need to return for check-ups according to scheduled appointments or need to be re-examined earlier due to health issues.
- Scope of expertise
Only medical examinations and prescription of medication will be conducted. In truly necessary cases, depending on the patient's condition, the examining doctor may prescribe and perform some simple techniques at home such as: physical therapy exercises, bandage changes, suture removal, electrocardiograms, blood sampling for tests, etc., according to the medical capabilities of the healthcare facility.
- Facilities permitted to conduct home medical examination and treatment
- Health stations, family doctor clinics, hospitals, and those listed by the Department of Health on the city's medical information portal.
- The Emergency Center 115 ensuring emergency response in the area.
- Payment of costs
- For home medical examinations and treatments for those not using health insurance cards: charges will be according to the KCB fee schedule not covered by the health insurance fund.
- For home medical examinations and treatments for those using health insurance cards: as per the guidance of the city's Social Insurance.
- For travel expenses for medical examinations at home for the elderly, public hospitals, and health centers will submit statistics to the Financial Planning Department – Department of Health to be supported by the city's anti-epidemic budget.
- Regulations to be followed when implementing home medical examination and treatment
- Medical practitioners must have appropriate practice certificates for the medical scope; must comply with screening regulations and apply preventive measures according to regulations; must adhere to professional regulations and medical records management;
- During home medical examination and treatment, health stations needing professional support may contact and connect via telemedicine with higher-level doctors for online consultations;
- Health stations operating under the principle of family medicine, district health centers should review actual conditions at the unit, and send reports to the Department of Health before August 20, 2020 (list of practitioners and proposed essential techniques to be performed at the patient's home) for review and announcement;
- Report home medical examination and treatment results to the Department of Health via the link: http://tinyurl.com/kcbtainha periodically before the 4th of each month.
- Implementation period for home medical examination and treatment
Applicable from August 18, 2020 (date of issuance of Official Dispatch) until further notice.
For details, see Official Dispatch 4731/SYT-NVY, issued on August 18, 2020
Le Hai
