FEATURES Hospital-at-Home Care Model: What it is and Why it Works

The hospital-at-home model has grown in popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling healthcare organizations to provide acute-level care in patient homes and expanding needed access to care. Though providing hospital-level care at home is not a new concept, the popularity of such programs grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. As cases of the deadly coronavirus began surging in March 2020, healthcare organizations nationwide halted various types of in-person care due to capacity constraints and fears of exposing people to the virus. As they pivoted to virtual care strategies to manage patient care, hospital-at-home programs emerged as a key tool. Today, with backing from federal agencies, healthcare organizations are continuing to rely on hospital-at-home programs even though in-person care has largely resumed. This is mainly due to the patient care benefits afforded by the hospital-at-home model and its potential to help rein in costs.

Medigy Insights

Hospital-at-home programs provide acute-level care in patients' homes and have gained popularity due to their patient care benefits and cost-saving potential. These programs typically include eligibility criteria, remote patient monitoring tools, and telehealth and in-home visits by clinicians. The hospital-at-home model has been shown to meet quality standards similar to inpatient care, with shorter lengths of stay and lower costs. The model has been adopted by several healthcare organizations in the US and has been implemented more widely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges to the model include digital health literacy gaps and the need for consistent internet access and running water for patients. The success of hospital-at-home programs may depend on reimbursement and the ability to track and measure outcomes.