Total Health for Hospitals

The Total Health for Hospitals Program caters to hospitals or health fund customers. We support patients in both pre and post admission phases of care resulting in reduced hospital costs and enhanced care for patients in their home. We provide a range of clinical and support services as outlined below.

Hospital Admission Programs

Telephonic pre admission assessment

A registered nurse assesses the patient’s clinical and pre-admission requirements. This information is used to identify and organise any required pre-admission services (such as an occupational therapist consultation), and to provide a full pre-admission clinical report to the hospital prior to admission. Our pre-admission data will enhance service planning for hospital clinicians.

Assisted discharge from hospital

We deliver coordinated care packages for individuals who elect, with the permission of their treating doctor, to undertake recovery at home, rather than in hospital. We have a national network of registered providers to deliver the required services. A full range of appropriate home care services, which assist recovery, can be provided. Telephonic support from our health consultants is available throughout the episode of care.

Alternative to admission

Where clinically appropriate, hospitalisation may be avoided altogether by providing care and services in the individual’s home under the supervision of the treating doctor and monitored by our health consultants. Telephonic support from our health consultants is also available.

Pilot Programs for Sydney Hospitals

ahm has more than 5 years experience in conducting pilot programs within the hospital setting. We offer case management services to reduce length of stay to identified Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG) based on a case payment model of care.

Using our knowledge and experience, we have delivered cost effective early discharge solutions to three Sydney Hospitals across the Orthopaedic and Maternity areas, to reduce length of stay and increase throughput and bed volumes. We have also assisted a hospital in providing an alternative service model to admission to hospital – a choice of providing care to patients in their own home or alternative short stay accommodation outside of the acute hospital setting.

Home Nursing benefit management

To assist its Health Fund clients, ahm is able to monitor and review care delivery within the capped Home Nursing benefit utilised by their members and service providers. This has proven to be very popular with our Health Fund customers in cost containment and reduction of home nursing benefit payouts.

Hospital In The Home (HITH)

ahm has assisted a large city hospital in setting up and planning a hospital in the home based program. The program offers identified patients with alternatives to hospital based clinical care and sets up a short term ward to filter acute home based care service delivery.

Maternity program

We offer hospitals an alternative care model to assist and support new mothers with services in their home, following early discharge from the maternity units. Proven incentives have enabled mother and baby to access services to make the transition from hospital to home, with minimum cost and maximum benefit.

Clinical Pathways

ahm has developed a program to access a unique service that provides assessment and delivery of multidisciplinary services based on industry guidelines and protocols using a case payment model. This program has been run for over 12 months with a large private hospital and has also utilised the phone pre admission clinical assessment tool reducing the need for patients to attend a preadmission clinic.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) in 2003, ahm is continually in a cycle of review to maintain and enhance best practice within the organisation. In line with the ACHS guidelines, we have developed protocols, procedures and evidence-based statements for the Total Health for Hospitals Program.

Our staff consists of specialist-trained nurses from diverse clinical backgrounds. All have worked in the acute hospital or community setting and have more than 5 years post graduate experience. Most have midwifery, psychiatric, cardiac, asthma or emergency department certificates and experience.

Service provider network

Our unique service provider network, supported by call centre systems, enables services to be delivered with no demographic or geographic restriction throughout Australia. Services are multidisciplinary and include access to clinical and non-clinical service provision and alternative short-term accommodation. All our service providers are registered and monitored.

For more information on Total Health for Hospitals, please Contact us.