Vanderbilt University Medical Center's "hospital-at-home" program is a key part of the Nashville, Tenn.-based system's "concerted effort to treat patients in the right place at the right time," Victor Legner, MD, Vanderbilt's executive medical director of primary care, said in a Feb. 21 news release.
Five things to know:
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The program designed to improve patients' outcomes and experiences, reduce hospitalizations and increase hospital capacity.
- Vanderbilt providers and nurses work together to determine whether a patient is a good candidate for the program. Patients must be assessed in Vanderbilt's emergency department or inpatient setting. If a patient and their caregiver or caregivers agree to receive care at home, a nurse arrives with them at their home to set up a remote monitoring system for basic vital signs.
- Nurses and nurse practitioners visit patients in their homes a minimum of two times a day.
- Patients receive a tablet with a button that connects them to their care team 24/7 via telehealth.
- The program can currently care for five patients and has plans to expand.