Advanced Care at Home

Mayo Clinic physician-scientists and other researchers study hospital-at-home care and how it might benefit patients and improve how healthcare is delivered. Their goal is to understand this rapidly changing field of hospital-level care so that their clinical colleagues have access to the latest evidence-based medicine.

They have learned that hospital-at home programs:

• Have a lower mortality rate than that of hospitals for comparable conditions or even more serious conditions.
• Can benefit people even if they have cancer.
• Open up more hospital beds. This is important to people who are so sick that they must have hospital care. And it helps hospitals manage a shortage of available hospital rooms.
• Make more efficient use of medical professionals and space.
• Have the long-term potential to be more affordable for the healthcare system and the people who use it.

Further studies are needed to measure the efficacy, safety and patient satisfaction of hospital-at-home care.