5 Lessons Learned About Hospital at Home Programs

Hospital at Home program leaders at Michigan Medicine and Allina Health provide helpful insights into their programs and share their lessons for success. Across the past decade, advances in medical technology, changes in reimbursement structures, and the growing need for innovative care delivery models have initiated a shift in the healthcare industry. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked new scrutiny of the healthcare system from the availability of personal protective equipment for frontline workers to managing patients when hospitals are at capacity ushering in a new era of virtual healthcare that is long overdue. Telehealth in 2020 was used for so much more than just addressing urgent complaints or COVID-19 screenings. Patients received primary and preventative care, mental health care, even specialty care, like physical therapy, from the comfort and safety of their homes. Many health systems across the country are taking advantage of the telehealth gains made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, embracing the use of the Hospital at Home model for their patients.