Hospital-at-home patients have had a low mortality rate and few complications, a study by CMS researchers found.
Of the 11,159 acute-care patients treated at home under the CMS hospital-at-home waiver from Nov. 25, 2021, through March 20, 2023, only 0.34%, or 38, died unexpectedly, most related to COVID-19, according to the Nov. 3 study in JAMA Health Forum. Patients had "minimal complications" leading them to return to a brick-and-mortar hospital.
The study's limitations include selection bias from participating hospitals and patients with conditions that could be cared for at home, the authors noted. CMS has extended the hospital-at-home waiver through Dec. 31, 2024.