A new tool to measure acuity in the community: a case study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care Models
• Clinical Acuity Assessment

Background:

• Hospital in the Home (HitH) offers patient-centred acute care, reducing hospital admissions and enabling early discharge.
• Increased patient referrals to HitH necessitate better measurement of patient acuity and dependency.
• Existing methods may not fully capture the complexity of HitH caseloads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for measuring patient acuity and dependency within Hospital in the Home services.
• To address the growing need for robust assessment tools in response to rising HitH referrals.
• To support the safe and effective delivery of acute care in the home setting.

Main Methods:

• A case study approach was employed at an NHS trust.
• Expert clinician input guided the development process.
• Key aspects quantified included procedural complexity, interdisciplinary working, risk stratification, and comorbidities.

Main Results:

• A new method for quantifying patient acuity and dependency in HitH was developed.
• The method integrates multiple clinical and operational factors.
• This approach aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of patient needs in home-based acute care.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a valuable tool for assessing acuity and dependency in HitH.
• Accurate measurement is crucial for maximizing patient safety and optimizing resource allocation in HitH.
• This work contributes to the evidence base for effective Hospital in the Home service delivery.