Evaluation of home respiratory therapy delivered to patients in the Ministry of Health's Home Medical Program [HMP] and administered through the Madinah HMP Center, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2013

ABSTRACT

This was an evaluation of home respiratory therapy [HRT] services administered through the Madinah Home Medical Program [MHMP] Center of the Ministry of Health [MoH], Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA]. Using a retrospective design and descriptive analyses, we analyzed 83 patient records for the clinical care received, outcomes, and patient satisfaction. We also assessed a subset from an economic perspective. Demographically, 72% were >60 years of age, 80% were female, and 90% were Saudi. Asthma accounted for 34% of the diagnosed respiratory diseases, followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [11%]. Most patients [71%] required two or three respiratory modalities 94% used oxygen therapy and 14% were on mechanical ventilation. A full 90% of HMP patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the HMP overall care, and 43% saw an improvement in their condition. The MHMP lowered healthcare costs for HRT-receiving patients by decreasing the frequency of emergency room [ER] and outpatient visits by 50.8% from 59 to 30 visits. HRT administered through the MHMP Center improved clinical outcomes and increased patient satisfaction while reducing hospital utilization and associated costs. A prospective study is recommended to assess HMP services in comparison with hospitalization