A repository of Hospital at Home programs and pilots, including a market overview, common success factors and challenges, and individual case profiles including:
Key elements of the program
Staffing and technology
Financial model
Program results including clinical, financial, patient and provider satisfaction
Impact on health equity
Key Takeaways:
Program size remains limited due to reimbursement uncertainty and challenges with patient enrollment. While the waiver currently provides reimbursement, many LHS are wondering if it will continue post public health emergency, and how close to parity those rates may be.
Opting out of pursuing the waiver allows programs to maintain greater flexibility in design. The waiver requires HaH to closely replicate the inpatient experience, particularly around the number and types of visits and levels of staffing.
Current workforce shortages exacerbate staffing issues, not a new challenge for HaH programs. HaH programs report struggling to fill roles even prior to the current nursing shortage.
Health systems are willing to partner with vendors for access to staffing, even if it means a longer path to break-even. Even pre-pandemic, staffing, logistics, and payer contracting represented the biggest challenges health systems face when building HaH in-house.
LHS risk perpetuating existing disparities without a more explicit and proactive HaH equity strategy. Several factors, including reliable internet connectivity, the presence of a caregiver, and other SDOH limit programs’ ability to enroll patients with lower sociodemographic status, exacerbating issues of equity