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[Home hospitalization for patients with acute illnesses]
J Roubicek1, A Salvatore, G Kavka
1Hospital Privado de Comunidad de Mar del Plata, Servicio de Internación Domiciliaria, Argentina. ianroubi@satlink.com
Summary
Home hospitalization for acute patients offers a cost-effective alternative to hospital stays. This model, utilizing dedicated teams, achieved high patient satisfaction and reduced costs by 30% compared to traditional inpatient care.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Internal Medicine
- Health Services Research
Context:
- The Distinct Home Hospitalization Service for Acute Patients operated for 26 months (Jan 1996-Feb 1998).
- The service managed 20 home beds with two multidisciplinary teams (physician and nurse).
- Care delivery mirrored hospital room standards for acute patients at home.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of a distinct home hospitalization service for acute patients.
- To assess patient demographics, common illnesses, medication administration, caregiver satisfaction, performance metrics, and cost-effectiveness.
- To determine the impact of family involvement in home-based acute care.
Summary:
- A total of 1,789 patients received home hospitalization, with a median stay of 4 days.
- Most patients (76.5%) were transitioned from inpatient care.
- Cardiorespiratory illnesses were most prevalent (45.5%), with 14.2% of patients having terminal conditions.
- Oral medication administration was common (74%).
Impact:
- The home hospitalization model demonstrated very high patient satisfaction.
- The cost of home hospitalization was significantly lower, approximately 70% of inpatient care costs.
- Family involvement was identified as a critical factor for the success of this care model.