There’s No Place Like Home…

The journal Healthcare reports on a program called PATH—Practical Alternative to Hospitalization. Looking to assess its feasibility, the article evaluated hospital admissions from the emergency department (ED). Such admissions account for over 15% of health expenses in the United States. Because of hospital costs and risk factors, lead, many patients would rather recover at home. Hence, the Hospital-at-Home model

Although not yet “widely implemented due to lack of reimbursement and resource intensity,” the Hospital-at-Home model has demonstrated cost, quality, and safety effectiveness. The article states, “Future randomized studies are needed to determine whether the care provided at home is effective and safe as compared to inpatient care.” The study’s lead author, Austin Kilaru, MD, and an emergency physician at Penn Medicine, stated,“It’s a new alternative to staying in the hospital or going home completely on their own. The culture is shifting where we realize that hospitalization is not always the best option for patients – particularly patients with chronic illness.”

 

To access the article, click here.

Read the press release.

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• pain management

• pain policy