Outcomes of Hong Kong’s first General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme (World Hospital Congress presentation series)

10 January 2020
by Dr Frank Chan
 
Dr. Frank Chan, chief manager of integrated care programs at the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, was co-presenter of the presentation titled “Demographic Profile and Service Utilization of the General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme Participants in Hong Kong” at the 43^rd World Hospital Congress of the International Hospital Federation (in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Sultanate of Oman) last 6 to 9 November, 2019 in Muscat, Oman.

With an aging population and epidemiological shift to chronic diseases, Hong Kong is facing ongoing challenges in maintaining a sustainable health care system. As part of the healthcare reform, the Government proposed to strengthen primary care, along with the promotion of public-private partnership (PPP). PPP serves as the third pillar of the health care system by making better use of the resources in both public and private sectors for the provision of more comprehensive and coordinated care in the community. With greater choices offered for patients and convenient access to quality healthcare services, PPP promotes long-term patient-doctor relationship which ensures the continuity of care, and ultimately, leading to better health maintenance and lowering hospitalization rates. By diverting the pressing service demand to the private sector, it allows the public sector to free up capacity to focus on other priority areas.

The General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme (GOPC PPP) is the first PPP programme in primary care service in Hong Kong. It was launched on a pilot basis in mid-2014 in three districts and subsequently extended to cover the entire territory (18 districts). Under this programme, clinically stable patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus (with or without hyperlipidemia) are given a choice to receive up to ten subsidized consultations from a private doctor each year, covering both chronic and episodic illnesses. Our study aims to examine the demographic profile and service utilization pattern of the programme participants and their satisfaction towards the programme. Preliminary analysis showed that a majority of the programme participants were females, with a mean age of 64.3 years. On average, each participating patient had around six attendances annually. Of which, four were chronic-related consultations and two were episodic-related consultations. Overall, positive feedback has been received from both medical professionals and patients, with high patient retention rate.
 
By the end of 2019, it was estimated that GOPC PPP would free up over 350,000 annual GOPC quotas, equivalent to approximately 6% of overall GOPC attendances in the public sector. Leveraging on the existing collaboration platform of GOPC PPP, future collaboration with a variety of private service providers (e.g. medical, social, allied health, non-government organizations) would facilitate the development of a holistic and integrated care for the patients.

The scientific committee of the IHF World Hospital Congress invites authors of research works, case studies, and innovative health programmes, like Hong Kong Hospital Authority’s GOPC PPP, to submit abstracts for consideration to the 44^th World Hospital Congress in Barcelona on 2 to 5 November, 2020.
 
Presentations, lectures as well as scientific posters will revolve around the theme People on board, transforming healthcare (Future is now). The call for abstracts welcomes topics touching on the following sub-themes:

• Digital and technology driven transformations
• Towards an integrated concept of health and care services model: value driven transformations
• People at the center of healthcare system transformations