Outpatient treatment in the University Hospital Utrecht: organization and infrastructure

Interest in home care for patients with serious infections is increasing. Home care technology needs reliable equipment that can be operated by the patient without constant supervision. To achieve long-term home treatment requires the establishment of protocols, education programmes, patient support and easy hospital admission. In the present study 185 patients, with cancer or a variety of infections, were treated at home over a 2-year period. Nineteen patients who had to receive antimicrobial agents were educated for self-administration and could contact a health professional with any problems. No serious complications due to home treatment with parenteral medication were observed.