Queensland health announced plans to open up to five satellite hospitals in and around Southeast coast of Queensland state.
The satellite hospitals provide timely access to non-urgent health conditions requiring attention of healthcare professionals. Patients will have access to outpatient care delivered locally in an ambulatory setting while preventing hospital presentation and admission in many cases.
Satellite hospitals may be able to offer a range of services from minor injuries clinics, allied health clinics, diabetes clinics, nutrition clinics, clinical pharmacy and nurse navigation services among many other innovative services delivered through ambulatory care model of care.
Many of these satellite hospitals have been digitally enabled with capability to use electronic medical records and linkages with other Queensland healthcare portals like viewer and other digital imaging portals.
Patients visiting satellite hospital could be referred from Mutiple service providers including many public hospital clinicians as well as external providers such as General practitioners, private hospitals as well as outpatient clinics. The referral process is also digitally enabled via central integrated referral pathways.
Any patients requiring access to immediate care could be reviewed by Rapid access services team member wherever possible before being transferred to nearest hospital via ambulance service. Similar principles of care apply to deteriorating or unstable patients presenting to satellite hospital.
Satellite hospitals are also currently exploring and developing integrated models of care involving multidisciplinary approach to manage elderly patients with chronic health conditions with a locally enable care pathway thereby preventing hospitalisation or presentation to emergency departments.
