RMH@Home Acute

What we do

Previously known as Hospital in the Home (HITH), RMH@Home Acute provides health care in the home that would otherwise need to be delivered in a traditional acute ward bed.

We aim to reduce time spent in hospital by providing acute short-term medical treatments such as:

• Delivery of intravenous antibiotics and other medications
• Perioperative anticoagulation management
• Complex wound management

Who we are

We are a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, allied health staff, administration assistants and volunteers that promotes a 'Home First' approach to support patients in their own homes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our patients are regarded as hospital inpatients and remain under the care of a treating hospital team, receiving the same treatment considerations as they would if staying in hospital.

How our service works

Clinical staff visit patients at home to assess their needs, provide treatment, review and plan care. A 'home' could be:

• The patient's own home
• A hotel
• A residential aged care facility (RACF)
• A family member’s or friend’s home

Discharge planning is implemented in consultation with the referring unit, GP and appropriate community-based services.

We accept referrals from RMH services, other hospital wards and specialist services, general practitioners and primary care practitioners. 

There is no cost to patients for receiving RMH@Home Acute care.

Who can use our service

Our team works closely with the referring clinician to check that patients are eligible and reviewed by our medical team and nurse coordinators promptly to determine whether they are suitable for our service.

Patients must meet the following criteria to be eligible for RMH@Home Acute:

• They require acute inpatient treatment delivered in the home
• Their home environment is suitable for staff to provide care (a routine risk assessment is carried out with all patients) – for certain patient cohorts, it might be necessary for patients to present to the hospital to receive their treatment
• The patient has access to a phone or has means to contact healthcare staff for assistance when needed. We maintain a 24-hour telephone line to support our patients at home
• The patient consents to participate in the program

The patient’s home location can either be within the RMH catchment area with care delivered directly by staff of the RMH, or the patient might reside further away. We will arrange to have care jointly managed with local health service providers for patients residing further away.

Diagnoses and treatment

RMH@Home Acute supports a variety of diagnoses and treatment at home. These include conditions such as:

• Viral infections (including COVID-19)
• Bronchiectasis exacerbations
• Dehydration
• Pneumonia
• Heart failure exacerbations
• Genito-urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis
• Acute tonsillitis
• Cellulitis
• Postoperative infections
• Infective endocarditis
• Anticoagulation management
• Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli
• Post-operative drain management
• Complex wounds and negative pressure dressings

Common questions people ask

Find out more about the common questions people ask about our RMH@Home services.