A new study suggests a care model where patients receive hospital-level care in their homes shows cost-cutting promise and doesn't hurt quality or patient safety, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.
Though patients say they would prefer to receive care at home if possible, few "home hospital" programs exist. Experts have suggested the model could ease issues with bed capacity and improve patient satisfaction.
Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) researchers conducted a small randomized control trial on its pilot home hospital program and found that the model cut healthcare costs in half, the article said.
The at-home model included a daily visit from a physician and two daily visits from a home health nurse. Patients could also connect to doctors through video chats or texting.