Comparing Hospital at Home and Inpatient Care for Adults Costs, Safety, and Patient Satisfaction

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the Hospital at Home HaH concept, which provides hospital-level care to acutely ill patients in their own homes. This includes daily medical and nursing visits, infusions, physiotherapy, diagnostics, and cooperation with hospitals and home care services. The study aims to demonstrate that HaH care is effective, safe, cost-efficient, and associated with high patient satisfaction compared to regular inpatient hospital care. Two main pathways are studied admission avoidance, where stable patients are admitted directly to HaH, and early supported discharge, where hospital patients are discharged earlier to complete treatment at home. The study compares two groups about 100 participants receiving hospital-equivalent care at home and 100 receiving traditional inpatient hospital care. Treatments include daily visits by physicians and nurses, infusion therapies, physiotherapy, and diagnostic procedures like blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound, and electrocardiography. Care is provided in partnership with hospitals, office-based physicians, home care organizations, and therapy providers. Both groups are monitored for treatment duration, therapy type, complications, and other health services used. Participants will be assessed for costs, mortality, rehospitalization, complications, patient satisfaction, length of stay, referrals to nursing homes or rehabilitation, and follow-up care. Data will be collected over one year or until 200 participants are included. The study will also track emergency department visits and home care types. Participants will complete questionnaires and be monitored for safety and outcomes throughout the study period, which starts in September 2025 and ends in August 2026.

Hospital at Home Versus Inpatient Care: Costs and Effectiveness