In an article for the NEJM Catalyst blog, Dr. Bruce Leff of Johns Hopkins University Medical Center shares his experiences and beliefs in moving care out of the traditional – and not-so-accommodating – hospital institution and into the comfort of the patient’s home.
He recants what anyone who has ever stayed a night in a hospital knows about the food, ability to rest, risk for falling or acquiring another illness, etc. He offers that some patients who need care would probably be better off staying out of the hospital, and that some flat out won’t go (for all the aforementioned reasons). As one patient told him:
“Doc, you guys are wonderful, but you run a crappy hotel.”
The results of the Hospital at Home program are impressive, but broader than that, they demonstrate what it means to be innovative in the context of a smart health market. Dr. Leff and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins recognized the importance of consumer preference and social determinants in care planning and developed an innovative approach that fits in beautifully with a smart health market.
Access Dr. Leff’s full posting here.