Early Discharge Programme on Hospital-at-Home Evaluation for Patients with Immediate Postoperative Course after...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Care Innovations
• Health Services Research
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Assessing the safety and efficiency of Hospital-at-home (HAH) care for early postoperative follow-up.
• Comparing HAH with traditional hospital care models for colorectal surgery patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the safety of an early hospital discharge care model using a HAH unit.
• To determine the efficiency of HAH compared to traditional care.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 50 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
• Transfer to HAH on postoperative day 3 if criteria met, with daily clinical follow-up and analytical controls.
• Discharge from HAH on postoperative day 7 if clinical course is favorable.

Main Results:

• No deaths occurred during the follow-up period.
• Average daily cost in HAH was EUR 174.29 versus EUR 1,032.42 in a surgery ward.
• Mean hospital stay was 5.5 days.

Conclusions:

• Early hospital discharge via HAH is a safe and effective model for patients after minimally invasive colorectal surgery.
• The HAH model offers significant cost savings for the public healthcare system.
• HAH facilitates efficient postoperative recovery and monitoring.