HOSPITAL SERVICES REPORT : INTRODUCTION - MAR97

INTRODUCTION - March 1997

This edition includes data for the December Quarter, 1996, which covers the months of October, November and December.

This edition includes a special feature on the evaluation of Phase One of the Hospital in the Home (HITH) Program, spanning the 1994–95 and 1995–96 financial years. The Department commissioned KPMG Management Consulting to conduct the evaluation.

HITH allows patients the choice to either leave hospital earlier and receive medical care in the comfort of their own homes or to have their entire treatment at their home. It is a direct substitute for care which would otherwise be provided in a hospital inpatient setting. The type of care predominantly provided by HITH includes chemotherapy, post surgical care, IV antibiotic therapy, wound management, and HIV/AIDS care.
The Government has committed a further $20 million over the next four years to HITH, commencing with $5 million in 1996–97, and in so doing, launching Phase Two of the HITH Program.

The information included in this report is often requested from the Department. Since technical information of this nature is very difficult to interpret, each graph and table needs to be carefully considered in the context of the complexity of the health care system. Departmental staff, hospital staff, general practitioners and other health care professionals may be able to assist you to interpret this report.