Hospital in the Home in Victoria: Factors Influencing Allocation Decisions

Abstract

There is a question surrounding the funding of Hospital in the Home (HITH) as to whether the allocation policy was driven by customer service preference or was largely a financial imperative. HITH has the capacity to increase the throughput and therefore the efficiency of acute care facilities which is attractive to Government and Health Service Managers. There is insufficient evidence to indicate that this is true in all circumstances. Hospital in the Home is a desirable and safe option for some clients. Hospital in the Home has the potential to provide a more cost effective mode of delivery of acute care than hospital facilities. However, there is a need for identification of which clients, with which conditions and care needs, will benefit from being part of a HITH program in emotional, health and financial terms. Health professionals are still grappling with the impact that HITH has on their roles and relationships with other health care providers. More qualitative and quantitative research needs to be undertaken to identify the best models of HITH in both organisational and financial tems, and its impact on the wellbeing of clients and carers.