[Home hospitalization for patients with acute illnesses]

This study presents the results of 26 months of work, from January 1996 through February 1998, of the Distinct Home Hospitalization Service for Acute Patients. This service managed 20 home beds with two teams, each with a physician and a nurse, with a care approach similar to that for a room in a hospital. Among the items evaluated were the attributes of the admitted population, their illnesses, the form of administering drugs, the satisfaction of the caregivers, the indices of performance, and the costs with this approach. A total of 1,789 patients had home hospitalizations over the period, with a median stay of 4 days. Of the patients, 76.5% were admitted from in-hospital care. The most frequent illnesses were cardiorespiratory ones (45.5%), and the proportion of patients with a terminal illness was 14.2%. Drugs were administered orally with 74% of the patients and parenterally in 26%. The patients' satisfaction level was very high, and the cost of the hospitalization was 70% of that for in-hospital care. Family involvement was key in this approach to care.