Virtual Hospitalization at Home After the Covid-19 Pandemic: Time to Consider Our Future Community Healthcare Options. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boone, Emily J.; Shammash, Jonathan B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of primary care & community health. Volume 13(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: hospital at home -- virtual hospitalization at home -- new models of community healthcare -- aging in place -- value-based care; Primary health care -- Periodicals; Primary health care -- United States -- Periodicals; Community health services -- Periodicals; Community health services -- United States -- Periodicals; 362.12
• DOI: 10.1177/21501319221112586
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2150-1319

Abstract

The concept of acute hospitalization at home has been described for over 3 decades. Its scope, however, was largely limited to small experimental trials and pilot studies. The Covid-19 pandemic changed these circumstances. The convergence of the critical need for acute hospital beds along with the growing sophistication and comfort in virtual monitoring facilitated the rapid deployment of hospitalization at home throughout many communities in the United States. Now in the waning times of the pandemic, community health leaders and health systems are questioning what the future role of home virtual hospitalization might be. Might this concept be relegated to only future times of critical bed shortage, or might it be part of a true change in community healthcare delivery.