I say let’s bring back the house call with a modern, more innovative approach.
The pandemic brought significant advances and adoption in remote and virtual care offerings. Now that providers, patients, and systems have embraced virtual health, it is the perfect opportunity to take another step forward in transforming patient care by expanding upon the innovative house call in hospital-at-home models. It won’t be easy but - if the orchestration is right - the potential is grand!
Anyone who has ever been admitted to the hospital, or stayed with a loved one, understands how exhausting it is. Healing in an acute care setting is met with the challenges of frequent interruptions, lack of sleep, and time away from loved ones – all proven to decrease the duration of illness and be vital to recovery – not to mention cutting down on hospital-associated complications.
By delivering care in a more patient-centric approach, hospital-at-home models can effectively deliver hospital-level care to patients at home. Patients who qualify for hospital-at-home programs experience multiple benefits.
Better Sleep Quality
A good night’s sleep promotes healing, but it can be hard to sleep in a hospital bed with unfamiliar sounds and frequent interruptions. Hospital-at-home patients sleep better and longer than patients in the hospital.
Increased Movement
While rest is important, movement promotes recovery by increasing blood flow and driving oxygen to stimulate healing. Patients in a hospital-at-home program moved significantly more than those admitted to the hospital.
Fewer Readmissions
Reducing avoidable readmissions has always been a goal in a quality healthcare system. By continually monitoring and communicating with patients, hospital-at-home programs have proven a reduction in readmissions by approximately 16%.
Reduced Cost of Care
By reimagining not only how but also where care is delivered, healthcare systems can find innovative ways to better deliver care while addressing the cost. Hospital-at-home programs reduce the cost of care by 38% and shorten the length of stay.
But the biggest benefit is that patients remain in their homes surrounded by loved ones, supported by a team of caregivers, and empowered to manage their own health and wellness.
Let’s reimagine how care can be delivered virtually anywhere, including the home. Because we all know there’s no place like home.
