Monash University researchers are investigating how extreme summer temperatures affect patients receiving hospital-level care at home, with the aim of ensuring services continue to deliver safe, effective treatment in a changing climate.
Led by Dr Michael Loftus, an infectious diseases physician from Monash's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and a clinician at Mildura Base Public Hospital, the study will monitor temperatures inside patients' homes and intravenous antibiotic infusion devices to better understand the impact of summer heat on patients and medication stability.
Recruitment will begin in Mildura this November, with researchers aiming to recruit approximately 20 - 30 patients in the region and a further 40 - 50 across metropolitan Melbourne over later months.
The research focuses on Hospital in the Home, a service that allows eligible patients to receive hospital-level treatment, including intravenous antibiotics, in the comfort of their own homes.
Dr Loftus said the research would help ensure these important services remain effective as Australia's climate changes.
"Hospital in the Home is a fantastic model of care that allows patients to receive treatment in familiar surroundings, while also helping hospitals manage demand for beds," Dr Loftus said.
"As we experience hotter summers, we want to better understand how temperatures inside people's homes might affect their comfort, care and the medicines they're receiving.
"Some intravenous antibiotics are sensitive to temperature, so understanding the conditions they're exposed to in real-world settings is an important part of ensuring we continue to provide the best possible care."
Researchers will place small temperature sensors in participating patients' homes and alongside their antibiotic infusion devices to measure temperature fluctuations throughout summer.
The study builds on preliminary monitoring and forms part of broader research through Monash University's Health and Climate Initiative to help healthcare services adapt to a changing climate.
Dr Loftus said the findings could inform practical improvements to home-based care, including medication storage and cooling strategies during periods of extreme heat.
"Ultimately, we want to identify simple, practical ways to support patients and healthcare teams so that people can continue to benefit from hospital-level care at home, regardless of the weather," he said.
The study has been funded by the Avant Foundation.
