Pandemic Pushes Expansion of ‘Hospital-at-Home’ Treatment

According to this article by AP News, as hospitals care for people with COVID-19 and try to keep others from catching the virus, more patients are opting to be treated where they feel safest: at home. Across the U.S., “hospital at home” programs are taking off amid the pandemic, thanks to communications technology, portable medical equipment, and teams of doctors, nurses, X-ray techs, and paramedics. That’s reducing strains on medical centers and easing patients’ fears. Ultimately, this reduces strains on medical centers and helps ease patients’ fears.

The programs represent a small slice of the roughly 35 million U.S. hospitalizations each year, but they are growing fast with boosts from Medicare and private health insurers. Like telemedicine, the concept stands to become more popular with consumers hooked on home delivery and other Internet-connected conveniences.