Hospitals at home program launches in Boston
The Brigham and Massachusetts General Hospitals have launched “hospital at home” programs in Boston in a bid to reduce the overall costs of healthcare. Other hospitals running similar programs have found that it reduces inpatient care costs and generally lowers the rate of readmission rates. The Boston trials currently cover patients suffering from pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and infections, as these patients are normally admitted to the hospital but do not require intensive care. One obstacle to a wider rollout is the possibility of losing money for home care under a traditional healthcare payment system if insurers do not agree to pay out. Partners HealthCare, the parent company behind the Boston hospitals trialling the programs, is taking the brunt of the costs in the hope that overall costs will be lowered and that insurers will get on board once results are demonstrable.
William Terry, seen at his home, was one of the first patients in a hospital at home plan launched by Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe