On Jan. 17, Richmond, Va.-based VCU Health announced a new Home Hospital program that will allow patients to receive acute, hospital-level care from within their homes via a press release. The program is the first in central Virginia and aims to serve approximately 2,000 patients during the first year.
The press release states that “Patients who would normally have needed to be in a hospital for acute care needs, such as sepsis, congestive heart failure or pneumonia, now have the option to receive the same level of care at home.”
Further, “Hospital-level medical care is provided through video and remote patient monitoring, with a physician overseeing patients in the program. Acute care nurses and other staff will also visit patients in-person. They will be available around the clock to support patients and their families by making sure services and supplies, like oxygen, are delivered directly to the patients' doorsteps.”
Studies show that hospital-at-home programs improve a patient’s experience with care and their health outcomes, according to the press release. The benefits of a hospital-at-home program are reduced mortality, faster recovery, and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
VCU Health also says in the release that hospital-at-home programs are a cost-effective alternative to hospital stays—for both the hospital and the patient.
“Over the past several years, the demand has increased for home-based health care solutions,” the press release adds. “VCU Health has been a leader in the commonwealth in responding to this need. In addition to Home Hospital, VCU Health patients currently benefit from multiple VCU Health at Home options, including home-based primary care, primary and specialty telehealth appointments, remote patient monitoring as well as skilled home health and hospice care.”
