Monique Reese, DNP, RN, senior vice president of home and community care at Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health, said the system has seen the average number of monthly admissions into its hospital-at-home programs increase "more than eightfold between 2020 and 2023."
"Patient demand is clearly there and growing," Dr. Reese told Phillips in a blog post Aug. 8. "We are also seeing particularly good engagement, satisfaction and outcomes among patients who choose to have care delivered at home."
Highmark Health's hospital-at-home program consists of patients and a care team that meets patients in their home environment, starting with a two- to six-hour enrollment visit. This visit allows care teams to do a complete assessment of their patients and set up the necessary equipment.
According to Dr. Reese, a typical care team can consist of a nurse, a nurse practitioner, a therapist, an aide and a hospitalist.
After the enrollment visit, the care team meets with the patient every day.