Home Care , Lab Tests, X-rays, Doctors AT HOME
24 hours a day
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Epworth:
Hospital In The Home Unit
Epworth
is one of the busiest hospitals in Australia, with 500 beds, a staff of
over 1,000 and more than 1,200 accredited visiting specialists. It is
a private non-for-profit hospital.
Dr
Michael Montalto MBBS PhD FRACGP, is the Medical Director of "Hospital
in the Home Unit" of Epworth Hospital and the author of the book "Hospital in the Home:Principles
and Practice". He has also published many studies on
the same subject [17, 18].
The
hospital launched its unique private sector program in March 2000. As
explained by the Unit’s Medical Director, Dr Michael Montalto, “A hospital
in the home program is just that. A patient admitted to this program has
been formally admitted to Epworth, but is cared for in his/her own home.
The unit is integrated with all hospital departments with respect to meeting
an individual’s clinical and/or non clinical needs.”The Epworth Unit became
the first integrated private sector Hospital in the Home Unit through
a trial sponsored bythe Commonwealth that allowed for the reimbursement
by private insurance funds of acute patients located other than in hospital.
The average length of stay for Hospital in the Home patients is 7 days.
The average daily occupancy of EHHU for 2001-2002 period was five patients.
But, this figure is steadily increasing. The maximum number of patients
being treated by the unit at any onetime is 16, with a maximum number
of 17 nursing visits per day. Of patients treated, the largest clinical
category is infectious disease. Within this category are common infections
such as cellulitis, pneumonia and other respiratory infections, pyelonephritis,and
infected wounds. There has been an increase in the management of patients
who are residents of nursing homes. The clinical profile for this group
differs from the usual, with higher rates of respiratory and urinary tract
infections. Epworth was a key part of the evaluation process, in co-operation
with health funds, consumers, general practice representatives and the
Commonwealth. The external evaluation was conducted over 14 months and
included clinical data analysis, patient, family, and clinical satisfaction
surveys. As a result, Epworth’s Hospital in the Home Unit has contributed
to the recent change in the National Health Act enabling private sector
Hospital in the Homeservices to be established.
A
map of Melbourne on the wall in the Epworth's HITH "strategy"
The
whiteboard with the patients currently treated at home.
Michael
Montalto with his wife Margaret, who is also medical doctor.
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