The Home Based Rehabilitation Service: Rationale, operation and outcomes

Abstract

The Home Based Rehabilitation Service was established as an allied health earlydischarge and outreach service from a major metropolitan post-acute teaching hospital.Two hundred and eighty-two patients were discharged to the service according toestablished criteria from the following specialities: neurology, neurosurgery,rheumatology, amputation, orthopaedic and spinal. Inpatient length of stay wasreduced by 19 days on average (the range was 3?75 days). Inpatient throughput wasincreased equivalent to 10 extra beds on an annual basis. The cost of home-basedservices was 11- per cent of the cost of the inpatient services they replaced. There werelow rates of hospital readmissions, and users registered high levels of satisfaction withthe service.