Collaborative Offers Resources to Scale Hospital-at-Home Programs
A group called the Connected Health Collaborative Community (CHcc) has developed a set of resources to help scale hospital-at-home (HaH) programs.
CHcc is co-hosted by the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) with UMass Chan Medical School’s Program in Digital Medicine as the founding impact sponsor.
Despite research showing HaH is a safe, effective, and scalable model that enhances patient outcomes, uncertainty surrounding policy and payment structures threatens the long-term viability of HaH programs.
“At a time when government funding for healthcare is being reduced, hospital-at-home programs offer a lifeline to maintain access to essential services,” said Benjamin Vandendriessche, chief delivery officer at DiMe, in a statement. “By delivering high-quality care in the home at a fraction of the cost of traditional hospital stays, these programs help health systems preserve critical services. Hospital-at-home is not just a cost-saving measure, it’s a sustainable model that protects patient care, supports frontline staff, and ensures communities continue to receive the care they need, even in a time of economic and policy uncertainty.”
CHcc is offering stakeholders actionable, free tools to transition HaH from a temporary policy initiative to a permanent, sustainable model of care:
• Patient Journey Map: Guides users through the entire patient experience in HaH, offering insights into clinical services, workflows, and technologies.
• Technical & Operational Considerations: Provides resources and insights for managing the infrastructure to scale HaH programs efficiently, securely, and sustainably.
• Program Evaluation and Reimbursement Pathways: Helps users select key performance measures, demonstrate ROI, and explore sustainable reimbursement for HaH programs including value-based care models.
• Pillars of Successful Implementation: Identifies the five critical areas of successful HaH programs, supported by case studies to overcome implementation barriers.
“In a time of rapid change and uncertainty in healthcare, hospital-at-home programs offer a transformative way to deliver high-quality care where patients feel safest: in their home,” said Sarah Schenck, executive director for ChristianaCare's Center for Virtual Health, in a statement. “Having access to free, expert-developed resources is invaluable for designing scalable, compliant programs that improve patient outcomes, support workforce training, and ensure sustainable reimbursement. These tools will empower health systems to enhance the care experience for both patients and providers.”
In addition to these resources from CHcc, a thriving Hospital at Home Users Group has grown up to share resources and best practices, work together to expand the reach of programs, and develop program and policy standards to inform regulatory and reimbursement policies.
