Hospital at Home
Hospital at Home - it's no longer a fiction. I was very impressed to read about an innovative new trial at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York (full disclosure - a client at my former company - but impressive nonetheless). The New York Times published an article last week that highlighted their pilot program which is being run in conjunction with CMS to allow patients to be treated at home as opposed to being admitted to the hospital. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/admitted-to-your-bedroom-some-hospitals-try-treating-patients-at-home/?ref=health
The new study at Mt. Sinai is leveraging work from the 1980's that had showed some promise. While the medical conditions tested at that time were somewhat limited - heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia, and cellulitis - the old saying "there's no place like home" was being put to the test. The early results (with 150 patients) were encouraging - the length of treatment, as well as the cost of care, were lower and the patients were no more likely to be readmitted.
In this program, funded by a $10M grant from CMS, patients treated at home will be followed for one month after their home hospital stay, during which they are eligible for services ranging from health coaching to home doctor visits. Mount Sinai will compare outcomes to a similar group of patients who are hospitalized and measure patient satisfaction. Although not mentioned in the article, the availability of new technologies to better monitor an individual's health cannot be underestimated. Using telemedicine, smart glucometers (such as those provided by a 7wire company, Livongo Health), scales and blood pressure monitors will all aid in the ability of a medical team to provide remote care.
I look forward to the day when patients have the choice of a shared hospital room, private room or their own bedroom. Rather than being discharged, a patient will be recharged and charged less. All good results.
#digitalhealth #hospitalathome #LivongoHealth
Médica Asesora Unidad de Mediación Consejo de Defensa del Estado
9 年Its a good medical and social alternative of care with a lower cost.Even for children, not only for seniors.Home care is a choice, not always understood by Health Insurens Companies.It has medical, social, and economics considerations.
Profesora y Escritora. "Me apasionan ambas profesiones"
9 年Thank you very much, is very interesting novelty of this news, I know of other similar experiences, in which care or nursing is provided in the office or at home own people; As you can accompany a patient to the hospital or to perform an examination; visit during admission and talk directly to the attending physician. These models have excellent results that are consolidated as a model of care with a clinical-epidemiological approach and the important social connotation, patients whose body condition can be recovered in the tranquility of the home, will be more and better served.
Senior Research Scientist at UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
9 年This is an effective way to delivery care to the seniors.
Interesting new aproche!