27
Executive Briefing
Finally, health systems are reaping the many benefits of
hospital at home. Research suggests that these programs
perform equal or better on measures like mortality, lengths of
stay and clinical outcomes compared to traditional hospitals.
8
In addition, they are very cost-effective to operate, with an
average savings of about 25 percent across multiple studies.
9
For hospitals, increased patient satisfaction scores and lower
costs add up to superior value and competitive performance
under value-based reimbursement schemes.
Accomplishing a Patient-Centric Shift
A paradigm shift always brings both disruption and opportunity.
Here are some practical steps hospitals can take to ease the
implementation of hospital at home and other patient-centric
care models.
First, remember that all change starts in the heart and mind. We
must therefore begin by engaging our front-line stakeholders,
the heart of clinical care. The medical staff, which represents the
hospital's closest connection to its patients, must be brought
to the table as early as possible, potentially even contributing
to strategy development. After all, they experience the gaps in
care and witness the patient's needs daily.
Second, partner with organizations to extend more rapidly
and effectively to the patient. This includes partnering with
trusted community organizations to help address the social
needs of patients. Keep in mind that many minority patients
may be skeptical of the healthcare system, and community
organizations can be instrumental in bridging the cultural
divide. However, also partner with tech, provider, and ancillary
service organizations that can complement your offerings to
narrow the financial and timeline hurdle.
Finally, for health in place to succeed, healthcare leaders must
lobby state and federal policymakers to formally recognize
the home as a clinical site of care. This means leveraging your
personal connections as well as working within advocacy and
industry associations. One resource is the Moving Health Home
coalition, an alliance of health systems, service providers, home
care agencies and physician groups dedicated to advancing
home-based care policy.
The time is now to drive necessary change that unleashes the
shackled potential for improving care and decreasing cost. To
expedite change, healthcare leaders can educate policymakers
about the benefits of home- and community-based clinical
models. We need to emphasize the potential value of this
approach to both the patients (outcomes and experience) and
the system (quality and cost savings).
Do the Right Thing
To the delight of Wesley and his family, the hospital-at-home
program was everything the doctor promised. Nurses visited
twice a day, and the hospitalist teleconferenced daily with the
family. Surrounded by support and comfort, Wesley recovered
quickly and was "discharged" in just three days.
As healthcare leaders, it's within our power to extend this
enhanced experience to thousands of patients across the
country. To pave the way, we must lead a paradigm shift that will
require us to rally clinicians, community leaders, policymakers
and patients — to name just a few. It won't be easy, but it's what
our patients deserve. n
Theo Koury, MD, is President of Vituity. In this role as President,
he is responsible for managing enterprise risk, resources,
and infrastructure necessary to achieve Vituity's mission of
empowering healthcare providers to deliver exceptional care
across 450 practice locations and nine acute care specialties.
For nearly 50 years, Vituity has been a catalyst for positive change in healthcare. As a physician-led and -owned
multispecialty partnership, our 5,000 doctors and clinicians care for nearly 8 million patients each year across 450
practice locations and nine acute care specialties.
1
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/
fullarticle/2774358
2
https://www.apmresearchlab.org/covid/deaths-by-race
3
https://www.parentgiving.com/elder-care/older-patients-at-risk-in-
the-hospital/
4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6367036/
5
https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/12/issue-brief-
creating-value-by-bringing-hospital-care-home_0.pdf
6
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-
article/hospital-home-programs-improve-outcomes-lower-costs-
face-resistance
7
https://www.johnshopkinssolutions.com/solution/hospital-at-home/
8
Ibid.
9
https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/12/issue-brief-
creating-value-by-bringing-hospital-care-home_0.pdf
