The Hospital CEO’s Guide to a Care at Home Strategy

Interest in care outside of the traditional hospital setting gained extraordinary momentum as a consequence of the pandemic. While medical care at home isn’t an entirely new modality, hospitals and health systems must consider a future in which the delivery of services inevitably extends beyond the hospital’s four walls. At the same time, the diversity of new business entrants and emerging opportunities make it difficult for any hospital or health system CEO to sort through the key issues, particularly in the context of the ongoing imperative for cost containment. A digitally enabled care structure that covers a range of home-centered services now sits in various levels of development and incorporation within the delivery system. Continued evolution is certain.

Investment trends and market valuation estimates point to care services delivered in the home as a significant business opportunity, driven in part by the aging population and in part by emerging consumer preferences for convenient digital health options, such as those that were cultivated in reaction to the pandemic. Deal activity has increased based on the premise that these services will have near-term effects on the health system and yield profitable returns.