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Home Hospital Program: A Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Leff Bruce,
Burton Lynda,
Guido Susan,
Greenough William B.,
Steinwachs Donald,
Burton John R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1999.tb01592.x
Subject(s) - medicine , medline , family medicine , law , political science
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the basic safety and feasibility of hospital care at home (Home Hospital (HH)) for treating acutely ill older persons requiring hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective case series SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Community‐dwelling persons aged 65 and older requiring acute hospital admission for community‐acquired pneumonia, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive airways disease, or cellulitis. RESULTS: Seventeen subjects were treated in HH. One hundred twenty‐two could not be enrolled because they presented for admission at times when HH was not operational. Six patients refused to enroll in HH. Subjects treated in HH had comparable clinical outcomes to those treated in the acute hospital and were highly satisfied with HH. Charges for HH care were 60% of those for the acute hospital care. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, HH was safe, feasible, highly satisfactory, and cost‐effective for certain acutely ill older persons who required acute hospitalization. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:697–702, 1999.