Abstract
The Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Care and Support Service was launched in March 1999 as a joint project of the Endoscopy Suite and Hospital at Home at Flinders Medical Centre South Australia. The Support Service was developed to provide, through integration of services, a link between the acute care setting and the community to ensure optimal management of patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes. A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy coordinator was employed to undertake further development of the service.
Integration of data from questionnaires and the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy data base was used to evaluate the service. Data indicated there was a need for a support service, not only for patients living with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes, but also for the caregivers of those patients who require specialized knowledge to manage percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy related problems. As a result of this project, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy management can now be provided in the patient's home setting, thereby improving patient and caregiver satisfaction and reducing hospital admissions.