The first eighteen months of a paediatric ambulatory and community service

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Community Health Services
• Health Service Models

Background:

• Hospitalization is traumatic for children, causing separation from family and home.
• Alternative healthcare models are emerging globally and in Australia to better serve pediatric patients and their families.
• The establishment of a new service aimed to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the initial 18 months of a pediatric ambulatory and community service.
• To evaluate key outcomes of the newly established service.
• To identify lessons learned during the service's implementation.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of a pediatric ambulatory and community service within a district health service in New South Wales.
• Monitoring referral patterns from acute hospital and primary care.
• Assessing parental satisfaction and hospital bed-day utilization.

Main Results:

• Increased referrals to the new service from both acute hospital and primary care settings.
• High levels of parental satisfaction reported.
• Significant savings in hospital bed-days achieved.

Conclusions:

• The pediatric ambulatory and community service has been successfully established and is effective.
• Proactive engagement with consumers and stakeholders is crucial for service setup.
• Clear roles, responsibilities, and measurable performance indicators are essential for sustained success.