Demand for public hospital specialist clinics (outpatient) services is growing, driven by an ageing population, the increasing burden of chronic disease and rising community expectations. In addition, changing hospital practices have led to much shorter inpatient stays for many medical and surgical conditions and a focus on managing patients on a non-admitted basis where possible. Therefore, as well as experiencing growth in overall demand, specialist clinics now need to manage higher acuity patients and more complex clinical interventions.
Details
- Topic
- Policies and guidelines
- Date published
- 20 Sep 2011
- Size
- 44 pages
- Author
- Department of Health & Human Services
- Update frequency
- Annual
- Available format
Downloads
Reviewed 21 September 2011