Evaluation of a novel Multidisciplinary hospital Avoidance and Post-acute Service (MAPS) program providing nursing and allied health team care in the community: a qualitative study of clinician and patient perspectives

Queensland public hospitals are experiencing high demand with limited capacity, reducing patient outcomes. Metro South Health recently established a community service to provide up to two weeks immediate home-based care for patients with a recent acute illness - the Multidisciplinary hospital Avoidance and Post-Acute Service (MAPS). MAPS provides comprehensive care from allied health and nursing to facilitate early discharge from public hospitals or to avoid a hospital presentation. Preliminary feedback from the initial site in Redlands suggests MAPS is facilitating positive outcomes. This qualitative study will evaluate the MAPS implementation by capturing the perspectives and experiences of MAPS program staff, referrers, and patients. Focus groups (staff and referrers) and interviews (patients) will be conducted, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts will be thematically analysed. Results will be utilised to describe the clinical and service impacts of the current MAPS model design and inform ongoing sustainability and future expansion of the MAPS program within MSHHS and wider health services.