and Mater at Home Direct Program

Queensland Ambulance Service

Team: Alex Thompson

Mater@Home Direct is a collaborative health navigation initiative, developed with the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Clinical Hub and Mater Hospital in May 2022. The initiative provides a referral pathway for Triple Zero (000) callers that require non-acute health interventions within a 24 hour period, and considers the social needs and care access requirements of the patient, initiating a rapid response in the client’s home. As a result of this innovative pathway, several emergency department presentations have been avoided, reducing demand on the wider healthcare system. Mater@Home Direct consists of a multidisciplinary team of Senior Medical Officers, Clinical Nurses and Allied Health team members who ensure a comprehensive clinical review same day, or multi-day interventions with follow-up and discharge planning, in response to a QAS referral.

This project has a binary purpose. Firstly, the innovative concept is designed to provide high quality assessment and care to non-urgent patients which can be safely managed within their own home, that would otherwise result in an ambulance transfer to an emergency department. This joint initiative between the QAS Clinical Hub and the Mater@Home Direct Team can provide tailored resources in a timely manner to multiple vulnerable patients, providing better outcomes for the Queensland community. The second aim is to empower the consumer by improving their health literacy and care experience in accessing quality care, equipped to support their social care needs in their own environment.