Hospital in the Home (HiTH)

HiTH provides hospital-level care at home, with nurses and/or doctors visiting in person or via telehealth based on your treatment plan. Care is available 7 days a week, including weekends and public holidays, and includes all necessary medical equipment. Treatment plans are regularly reviewed, and a discharge summary is sent to your GP when care ends. Eligible patients are aged 18 or over, have an acute condition requiring up to twice-daily treatment, are safe to stay at home with or without a carer, and have reliable phone access.

HiTH provides short-term loan devices and medical equipment at no cost to support treatment at home. The HiTH team assesses your needs and arranges suitable equipment, which is used during your care and returned once treatment ends. While there’s no charge, patients are responsible for any loss or damages. These devices help patients manage their health and recovery more independently during their HiTH care.

Hospital in the Home (HITH) is an admitted clinical service offering hospital level care to patients in their home or preferred location. The creation of HITH virtual includes enhanced care services such as videoconferencing, remote patient monitoring, and digital diagnostic technology, enabling an efficient service that allows patients to receive the care they need safely while at home.

The HITH Virtual Intravenous Antibiotic Program enables eligible patients to receive hospital-level IV antibiotic treatment in the comfort of their own home. Patients may self-administer antibiotics, have a trained carer assist, or attend the HITH Clinic as needed. A HITH nurse provides daily support via phone or video call, and a nurse and doctor are available 7 days a week for any concerns. The program includes education on managing treatment safely, and patients must have access to a phone, fridge, transport, and a support person if required.

If your doctor feels that you are ready to be managed at home, you may start on HITH Virtual. Time will be required to prepare the antibiotic, so you will be given a likely start date by the HITH Virtual team.

In most cases, to be able to enter the program you should have available at home:

• Have a working smart phone
• A carer/relative/support person to aid if necessary
• A refrigerator
• Access to reliable transport/driver for the entire course of treatment. This is especially important after-hours in case a problem occurs
• You also need to be mobile enough to safely manage at home

While you are on the HiTH Virtual program, staff will stay in contact with you daily through video calls or telephone, and a nurse and doctor are available 7 days a week to help if any issues arise at home. During your treatment you will have a weekly review with the infectious disease team in the HiTH clinic. After your treatment is complete, a follow-up appointment will be arranged with your treating doctor, and you may be prescribed oral antibiotics to continue your recovery.

After virtual supervision of the HITH staff, most patients can self-administer their antibiotics when deemed appropriate. Alternatively, a relative or friend may be trained to assist with your care. In some cases, you may need to visit the HiTH clinic daily or as required for your treatment, or a HiTH nursing staff member may attend to you at home. 

• HiTH Patients/Carers Factsheet
• HiTH Virtual patient/carer factsheet 
• HiTH Virtual Infuser Change Instruction
• HiTH Virtual Antimicrobial Infusor Information