According to a research study conducted by the USC Schaeffer Center, the majority of people find hospital-level care provided at home appealing due to its convenience, comfort, and effectiveness.
The study, which was published in JAMA, revealed that most survey participants believed they would recover more quickly if they received care at home instead of in a hospital. They also expressed feeling safe when receiving treatment at home.
The researchers highlighted that understanding patient and family preferences is crucial as policymakers decide whether to continue a program that allowed hospitals to offer care at home during the pandemic.
Melissa A. Frasco, a research scientist at the Schaeffer Center, emphasized that while patients desire high-quality care, they often prefer being at home, particularly if technology enables them to collaborate closely with their healthcare team for recovery.
The study showed that 82% of respondents were comfortable managing a patient’s medications at home, and 67% were willing to provide additional care such as wound care.
By using remote patient monitoring tools, regular clinician visits either in person or via telehealth, and in-home infusions, hospital-level care can be effectively delivered at home for patients with acute conditions. Previous research has indicated that such care can reduce readmissions and costs compared to traditional hospital care.
Based on a survey of approximately 1,100 participants from the Understanding America Study, findings revealed that 47% considered hospital-at-home care a suitable alternative to inpatient care. Moreover, 56% believed that individuals recover faster at home than in a hospital setting.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily allowed at-home care services through the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver. This waiver was extended by Congress until December 31, 2024, with a requirement for CMS to conduct a thorough study on care quality before approving long-term reimbursements. Currently, 322 hospitals in 37 states have been authorized to offer at-home care.
Erin L. Duffy, the director of research training at the Schaeffer Center and a co-author of the study, emphasized the significance of these findings for policymakers and health systems as they navigate post-pandemic patient care. Extending reimbursement for hospital-at-home care could lead to cost reductions and improved outcomes for all involved parties.
According to the researchers, the acceptability of hospital care at home was consistent across various sociodemographic factors, health insurance coverage, health status, prior hospitalizations, and telehealth usage.