Intervention allows more complex patient conditions to be managed at home

A new North Lakes Intervention Clinic has been established to support Hospital in the Home (HITH) patients with more complex health care needs and deliver safe clinical care locally.

HITH Nurse Unit Manager Rajni Nair said the intervention clinic (H-INT clinic) at North Lakes Health Precinct was developed to safely support home hospital patients with more complex health care needs, and reduce unnecessary trips to Emergency Departments.

“The H-INT clinic is being utilised for additional clinical activities, complex interventions and monitoring, one being scheduled face-to-face patient reviews of HITH patients by Registrars,” she said.

“This initiative is having immediate benefit and is improving the services’ ability to monitor and intervene where required to deliver the right clinical care locally at the right time.

“The H-INT clinic and supporting Register interventions allow Hospital in the Home staff to closely monitor more complex patients and where necessary safely intervene without patient’s being transferred to a hospital for care.”

Recently, an 85-year-old patient was routinely transferred to HITH for wound management, fluid management and allied health support following surgery at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH).

“This patient had a significant medical history which included heart failure and irregular heartbeat,” Rajni said. “Following the scheduled H-INT clinic day five routine medical review we found that the patient was experiencing an irregular heartbeat and a very high heart rate.

“This required an immediate cardiac assessment, point of care ECG and I-stat pathology, administration of intravenous fluids, along with pathology laboratory testing.”

As part of this case, the HITH Registrar reviewed diagnostics and provided a clinical update to the treating team at TPCH, and intravenous medication was prescribed and administered by the HITH pharmacist.

Rajni said the patient was successfully managed at the H-INT clinic and returned home in two hours, with ongoing updates to the next of kin. Oral medications were reviewed and adjusted, with scripts provided and scanned to the patient’s local pharmacy.

“This patient had access to the right clinical care at the right time through the H-INT clinic, and there was no need for transfer to hospital for care,” she said.

Each year, HITH services across Brisbane North deliver around 55,000 home visits, or face to face and virtual appointments to patients in the community following a hospital admission.

HITH services actively reduce the length of stay of patients at hospitals by providing a safe alternative to hospital care and recovery following surgery or a serious medical condition.