Providing healthcare services outside the hospital, within the individual's living and working environment, is an integral component of the modern approach to healthcare. Home health services encompass medical care for individuals who require post-discharge care, have chronic illnesses, or are unable to reach the hospital due to mobility limitations. Occupational health services, on the other hand, are a comprehensive program that includes the prevention of occupational health risks, periodic examinations, and intervention following workplace accidents.
Scope of Home Health Services
Home health services ensure that hospital-quality medical care is maintained in the patient's own environment. This service model accelerates the patient's recovery process, eliminates the risk of hospital-acquired infections, and maximizes patient comfort.
Home Physician Visits and Medical Assessment
Visits conducted by experienced physicians at the patient's home include comprehensive physical examinations, treatment plan evaluations, and medication adjustments. Chronic disease monitoring, wound assessment, and the management of acute complaints are provided in the home environment. When necessary, decisions for advanced diagnostic tests and hospital referrals are made on-site.
Home Nursing Services
Practices offered within the scope of home nursing services include:
- Wound care: Surgical wound dressing, diabetic foot care, pressure ulcer treatment, and chronic wound monitoring
- Intravenous therapy: Home antibiotic infusion, fluid replacement, and parenteral nutrition applications
- Catheter care: Maintenance and replacement of urinary catheters, nasogastric tubes, and gastrostomy tubes
- Stoma care: Colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy care, along with patient and caregiver education
- Medication administration: Injections, insulin administration training, and medication adherence monitoring
- Vital sign monitoring: Measurements of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, oxygen saturation, and blood glucose
Home Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Home physiotherapy programs are implemented following orthopedic surgery, for patients who have suffered a stroke, in neurological diseases, and after long-term bed rest. A personalized exercise program is created by the physiotherapist after evaluating the patient's functional capacity. Range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, balance training, and gait rehabilitation are continued in the home environment.
Home Laboratory Services
Specimen collection is performed at the patient's home by phlebotomists. Samples are collected under appropriate conditions for routine and specialized tests such as complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry panels, coagulation tests, hormone analyses, and tumor markers. Samples are transported to the laboratory in accordance with cold chain regulations, and results are delivered to the patient digitally.
Chronic Patient Monitoring Programs
One of the most critical components of home health services is ensuring the regular monitoring of chronic diseases. The following patient groups benefit from home monitoring programs:
- Diabetic patients: Regular blood glucose monitoring, HbA1c control, insulin dose adjustment, diabetic foot examination, and nutritional counseling
- Hypertension patients: Home blood pressure monitoring, medication adherence assessment, and monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors
- COPD and asthma patients: Respiratory function monitoring, inhaler usage training, oxygen therapy management, and early detection of exacerbation symptoms
- Heart failure patients: Daily weight monitoring, edema assessment, diuretic dose adjustment, and monitoring of exercise tolerance
- Oncology patients: Post-chemotherapy care, port catheter care, nutritional support, and palliative care services
- Neurological patients: Post-stroke rehabilitation, home monitoring of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's patients, and caregiver training
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Services
Home palliative care services are provided to individuals with advanced chronic illnesses to ensure pain control, symptom management, and the preservation of quality of life. Stepwise analgesia protocols for pain management, control of symptoms such as nausea and dyspnea, and psychological support are the primary intervention areas of the palliative care team. Spiritual support is provided by informing the patient and their family about the disease process.
Occupational Health Services
Healthcare services that employers are required to provide to their employees within the scope of occupational health and safety legislation are coordinated by the occupational medicine unit. The purpose of occupational health services is to prevent occupational diseases, reduce workplace accidents, and protect employee health.
Pre-employment and Periodic Examinations
A comprehensive health assessment is performed for every employee before they start work. Diagnostic panels determined according to the nature of the job and exposure are applied:
- Complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests, lipid profile
- Chest X-ray and pulmonary function test (in industries with dust and chemical exposure)
- Audiometry (hearing assessment for those working in noisy environments)
- Eye examination and vision screening
- Electrocardiography (for employees in the cardiovascular risk group)
- Hepatitis B vaccination status check and necessary vaccinations
Periodic examinations are repeated at intervals ranging from six months to two years, depending on the employee's exposure status. In case of suspected occupational disease, an advanced diagnostic and referral process is initiated.
Intervention After Workplace Accidents
In the event of a workplace accident, first aid intervention, emergency health assessment, and coordination of hospital referral are provided when necessary. In the post-accident process, the employee's return-to-work assessment, functional capacity analysis, and necessary workplace adaptations are planned.
Ergonomics and Occupational Risk Assessment
Ergonomic analysis of the working environment is conducted, and adjustments are recommended to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Training and consultancy services are provided on desk ergonomics for office workers, and lifting techniques and prevention of repetitive strain injuries in the manufacturing sector.
Corporate Check-Up Programs
Corporate check-up programs designed for companies and institutions ensure a comprehensive evaluation of employees' general health status. Check-up packages, personalized according to age, gender, and risk factors, include the following components:
- Basic check-up: Complete blood count, biochemistry panel, urinalysis, thyroid function tests, ECG, and chest X-ray
- Comprehensive check-up: In addition to the basic package, abdominal ultrasonography, exercise stress test, tumor markers, and hormonal panel
- Executive check-up: In addition to the comprehensive package, whole-body MRI, coronary CT angiography, colonoscopy, and detailed cardiological evaluation
Check-up results are reported individually for each participant. Detailed information is provided regarding identified risk factors and abnormal findings, and necessary referrals are made.
Health Education and Awareness Programs
Health education seminars organized in workplaces contribute to the development of employees' preventive health awareness. Smoking cessation programs, stress management workshops, nutrition education, and first aid certification programs constitute the educational component of occupational health services.
At Koru Hospital Home and Workplace Health Services, we provide high-quality and reliable healthcare services outside the hospital with our expert staff. Our team, consisting of experienced physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational health specialists, provides comprehensive health solutions to our patients in need of home care and to employees in their workplaces.