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Home treatment trumps hospital
Cultural change needed to expand healthcare in the home , forum says .
Some health professionals in the acute sector may be apprehensive when it comes to releasing patients into the healthcare in the home system , but it may be the best move for the patient .
This was a key point raised by speakers at Taking Healthcare Home , the recent forum of the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation ( AusHSI ).
To inform debate at the forum , the centre
produced an issues paper of the same name that compared hospital treatment with acute and chronic treatment services in the home .
The paper found that , in many cases , it was better for the patient and more cost effective to provide treatment at home than in hospital , and that cultural change in the health profession was needed to overcome uncertainty about quality and safety .
Forum speaker Melissa McCusker , the nurse unit manager responsible for the Acute Care @ Home services of QEII Hospital in Brisbane , said home treatment was not a new concept but could be difficult for patients and staff to understand .
“ There needs to be a good working relationship and trust among the whole healthcare team ,” McCusker said . “ Besides the cost savings , patients often prefer being at home , and there can be other benefits like a reduced risk of hospital acquired / cross infection , medication errors and decreased patient depression and anxiety .”
AusHSI academic director professor Nick Graves said healthcare in the home was a priority for the government because of its potential to improve patient flow , meet national emergency access targets and increase capacity within the healthcare system .
Graves added : “ When you are in hospital , there are more opportunities for complex , costly and often unnecessary investigations and treatments to happen .” ■
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