Home visits by doctors : a much needed service in Bahrain

Abstract EN

In famiiy medicine, a physician needs to identify the health beliefs of a patient from the patient’s family environment and from other social factors around the patient.

To identify such potentialiy beneficial factors, home visits are highly recommended.

The Arabian Gulf University practices home visits under the Family Studies Program to identify such factors.

We present a case study on Mr.

and Mrs.

Y and their widow friend, Mrs.

X, who were over 65 years of age, living below the poverty level, suffering from chronic stress, and with severe medical illnesses such as diabetes and osteoartoritis.

They also did not have any children.

In our home visit to these patients, we found that strong friendship and mutual cooperation are key social support mechanisms that help them overcome all their adverse situations.

We have also highlighted the importance of home visits and general considerations in family-oriented health care and recommend regular home visits for better patient care in Bahrain.