(Montreal) Halfway between a family medicine group (GMF) and a hospital, the Quebec government clarified on Wednesday its model of private mini-hospitals which will focus on the needs of seniors.
Two mini-hospitals, which will resemble clinics specialized in geriatrics, will be created in the Montreal and Quebec regions.
The office of the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, confirmed on Wednesday that a budget of 35 million from public funds will be allocated annually for each mini-hospital. All care and services will be free for patients, and will be covered by the Régie de l’assurance santé du Québec.
These establishments that the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) hopes to deliver in 2025 will have an emergency room, but no operating theater. They will be equipped to meet the needs that most often affect seniors, but people of any age could be referred there if the mini-hospital is the best place for the person’s needs.
In an email sent to The Canadian Press, the president of the Association of Geriatric Physicians of Quebec (AMGQ), Jacques Morin, was skeptical of the CAQ’s concept of mini-hospitals.
The geriatric outpatient clinic model as presented is vague and it is difficult to assess its added value in terms of targeted clientele and real benefits. Several less expensive and scientifically proven alternatives exist to achieve their objectives of reducing emergency room consultations, including the optimization of already existing outpatient geriatric clinics, but underfunded and without sufficient staff.
Jacques Morin, president of the Association of Geriatric Physicians of Quebec (AMGQ)
He indicated that the AMGQ would comment in more detail on the project in the coming days. “For the moment, what we are certain of is that geriatricians are not part of the project in its current version even if they are called “outpatient geriatric clinics,” says Mr. Morin.
The mini-hospitals will be open 24/7, but new patients will be admitted from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The teams will have diagnostic tests on site and will have the possibility of keeping patients under observation for short stays.
Nurse Philippe Voyer, also professor, researcher and vice-dean of the Faculty of Nursing at Laval University, welcomes the government’s concept, calling it a first step in adapting care for seniors.
It is certain that I would like there to be — like the Sainte-Justine hospital for children — geriatric hospitals with all the specialties. In my opinion, this is the way we will best meet the needs of geriatric clients, but we are not there. What has just been decided is a step in the right direction for me.
Philippe Voyer, professor, researcher and vice-dean of the Faculty of Nursing at Laval University
As the mini-hospitals will be specialized in geriatrics, Mr. Voyer hopes that we will never lose sight of the needs of the elderly, regardless of their health problem.
Patients admitted to mini-hospitals will have previously been recommended by a health professional from another health establishment. This could be a referral via the First Line Access Desk, 811, 911 or paramedics. The government’s objective is to relieve hospitals of less urgent cases, more specifically P4 and P5 as they are called in medical jargon.
The president of the AMGQ emphasized that among patients classified P3, P4, P5, elderly patients are the most likely to present a condition requiring hospitalization. “Directing them straight away to an outpatient clinic is a care offer that is likely not to meet the needs of the clientele,” believes Mr. Morin.
The mini-hospitals will also have access for ambulances and paratransit.
The government could repeat the mini-hospitals project elsewhere in Quebec.
“We have always said that the private network must be complementary to the public network, and it is by joining forces as we are doing today that Quebecers will have better access to their health network,” declared in a press release Minister Dubé.
The office of the Minister of Health said it was aware of situations where elderly people who present themselves in the emergency room can spend several hours there when they are sorted at the bottom of the priority scale, even though we know that this is not the case. t is often not an appropriate environment for seniors, or even a hostile environment. The concept of mini-hospitals aims to alleviate this type of situation.
“Waiting in the emergency room, not hydrating as usual, not sleeping well, not eating as usual, not moving around (…) has negative effects for this clientele. We want to help them, but emergencies are an environment that is not helpful for elderly people, it is harmful to their health,” explains Mr. Voyer.
He wants Quebec to develop a network of care and services that take into account the vulnerability of seniors, particularly geriatric hospitals.
Not all players in the health sector welcome with open arms the concept of mini-hospitals presented on Wednesday. The Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN) expressed dissatisfaction on the social network X. “The CAQ wants to reserve its future private hospitals for seniors. Clearly, Minister Dubé does not understand. We must invest in the public. Studies show that the private sector is not good for health,” writes the federation.
The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) underlined on By visiting emergency rooms in Quebec, the CAQ would realize that waiting in emergency rooms affects all age groups. »
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reference: www.lapresse.ca