Health Bureau holds webinar to draw enrolment of doctors to Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme
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The webinar was chaired by the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, and the Director of the Strategic Purchasing Office, Dr Cheung Wai-lun. They elaborated on the implementation details such as arrangements for laboratory investigations, drug ordering and calculation methods for CDCC Pilot Scheme incentive awards, and responded to questions.
The webinar also introduced the dedicated IT platform of the CDCC Pilot Scheme and its operation. Doctors will be supported by the IT platform to verify eligibility of participants and complete enrolments, store clinical documentation, place orders for and prescribe medication, arrange laboratory investigations and follow-up services by allied health professionals as well as manage claims for consultation fees and additional charges, etc on a single platform.
Addressing the webinar, Dr Pang said, "Family doctors are our important partners in launching the CDCC Pilot Scheme. In many countries and regions with well-developed primary healthcare services, citizens are taken care of by the same doctor for long-term follow-up consultations in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This very approach accomplished a trusted holistic medical care model through which the quality of citizens' healthy lives is seen to be improved. We anticipated that by having the key elements of primary healthcare services in place through the CDCC Pilot Scheme, so we can alleviate the pressure on the public healthcare sector in the long run."
Dr Cheung added, "We have been keeping close communications with various stakeholders in the sector to listen to their views. We also made reference to similar programmes in various aspects such as the scope of the scheme drug list and the arrangements for doctors to purchase basic-tier drugs on the list from designated drug suppliers at discounted prices."
The CDCC Pilot Scheme differs from other government-subsidised Public Private Partnership Programmes in one new element, and that is the introduction of multi-disciplinary teams. The District Health Centres will take up the role of a case manager to support family doctors and follow up on their instructions in making medical arrangements, including assisting participants in managing their blood pressure and blood glucose levels, helping them to set health management goals, and making appointments for participants to receive services from nurse clinics and allied health as referred by family doctors.
To enlist more doctors to the CDCC Pilot Scheme, the Health Bureau has hosted five webinars so far to enlighten the sector with details of the Scheme. The Government will continue to connect with various medical groups and stakeholders, and recruit more family doctors in a bid to ensure that ample options will be available for selection by citizens at the time of launch in mid-November.
All Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of diabetes mellitus or hypertension are eligible to join the CDCC Pilot Scheme. Under the Scheme, they can receive services including screening, treatment, nurse clinics and allied health services (optometrists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and podiatrists) and laboratory investigations in the private sector at an affordable price.
For enquiries, doctors and citizens may browse the dedicated website of the CDCC Pilot Scheme of the Health Bureau (www.primaryhealthcare.gov.hk/cdcc/en/) or call the scheme hotline at 2157 0500. Dedicated staff of the hotline will answer calls from 9am to 9pm from Mondays to Saturdays.
Ends/Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Issued at HKT 17:58
Issued at HKT 17:58
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