Inpatient-Level Care at Home Delivered by Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Complex Interventions and their Components

The systematic review and meta-analysis examined technology-enabled inpatient-level care at home services, such as virtual wards and hospital at home, comparing them with hospital-based inpatient care. They identified and classified interventions based on key components like clinical activities, workforce, and technology, analyzing evidence on mortality, hospital readmissions, cost-effectiveness, and length of stay. Results from 69 studies suggested that most models had similar or reduced hospital readmission risk compared to hospital-based care, with uncertain evidence on mortality. The review emphasizes the need for further research on clearly defined interventions, especially in high-priority populations, and includes comparative cost-effectiveness evaluation to inform future implementation of these innovative care models.