The home based rehabilitation service: rationale, operation and outcomes

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