Caring for Hospital Patients at Home?

Hospital-at-home (HaH) care offers acute hospital-level care for selected patients at home. In 2014, a New York healthcare system implemented a HaH care bundle with a 30-day postacute care period of home-based transitional care. Patients were admitted to HaH on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. only. HaH care was provided by a daily nurse visit and a daily assessment by a physician or nurse practitioner (in person or by video call). Services included vital sign measurements, administration of intravenous and oral medications, wound care, and patient education. For 30 days after discharge, nurses and social workers provided self-management support and coordination of outpatient care.

Compared with 212 control patients, 295 HaH patients had signi…