site.btaDigital Platform Connects Patients with Healthcare Professionals for Home Visits

The digital platform HomeMed.bg, which connects patients and their relatives in need of medical care at home with healthcare professionals, was presented at a press conference at the BTA press club in Sofia. During the event, the Bulgarian Union of Physician Assistants and Feldshers (BUPAF) and the platform's creators signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at developing up-to-date models for delivering medical and healthcare services in the home.

HomeMed.bg was created to make it easier for patients to access suitable healthcare professionals when they need a home visit, acting BUPAF Chair Galina Zaharieva said. She said patients are often discharged from hospital before they have fully recovered, leaving their relatives to find a specialist to provide the necessary care.

General practitioners are heavily burdened, while staff shortages and the uneven distribution of healthcare professionals make access to medical care difficult in many localities, Zaharieva said. She noted that the shortage of home nursing and care services over the past more than 20 years has been a serious problem, and professional organizations have long been calling for it to be addressed. According to her, independent practices run by healthcare professionals are not funded by the National Health Insurance Fund, meaning patients have to pay for their services.

The memorandum aims to promote the development of up-to-date models for delivering medical services at home, Zaharieva said. She specified that physician assistants and feldshers participating in the platform must have the necessary qualifications, at least three years of professional experience, and membership of their professional organization. The platform will enable patients to find the assistance they need while allowing healthcare professionals to undertake additional regulated work alongside their main jobs, she added.

HomeMed.bg was created in response to the experiences of people who faced the need for medical care at home, its founder Georgi Ivanov explained. The aim is to make it easier for patients and their relatives to find specialists without having to wait outside medical offices or spend time searching for appropriate care.

Through the platform, users can select a medical service, specify the location for the home visit, view information about healthcare professionals and request a convenient appointment time. Patients must register, but another person can also register on their behalf to help those who are unable to use the platform themselves, Ivanov explained. The prices of services are set by the healthcare professionals themselves on a market basis, depending on the type of service, Ivanov added.

The platform has been operating for around two months and currently has very few registered healthcare professionals, Ivanov said. He added that the team was continuing to make improvements and develop its features.