The healthcare system of Mass General Brigham has announced plans to transition 10% of its medical patients to home care, according to Heather O’Sullivan, the organization’s president of home healthcare. This statement was made during an interview at the HIMSS conference in Orlando earlier this month.
„This is just our starting point,“ O’Sullivan remarked, referencing research that suggests 30-40% of all care currently provided in the United States could potentially be administered at home. However, she emphasized that this projection is more aggressive than what the organization is prepared to implement at this time.
Mass General Brigham’s home care services are delivered through a combination of remote patient monitoring, meal services, virtual appointments, and home visits by clinicians. O’Sullivan highlighted that Best Buy is the largest partner supporting the health system’s home care program.
The patients receiving home care from Mass General Brigham typically suffer from conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, or sepsis. O’Sullivan noted that these conditions can often be managed safely at home rather than in a traditional hospital setting.
„I believe home care will ultimately become the default place of treatment for certain diagnoses, while our physical facilities will serve individuals with acute needs,“ she added.
O’Sullivan also pointed out that during the COVID-19 public health emergency, home hospitalization programs experienced both reimbursement support and favorable regulatory conditions. She urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend coverage for home hospitalization programs once the current waivers expire at the end of the year.
Throughout the pandemic, patients have become increasingly comfortable with virtual healthcare and home care options, even among generations that were previously hesitant. Consumers are now more receptive to healthcare experiences that extend beyond traditional in-facility care due to demands for convenience and flexibility, according to O’Sullivan.
„This is truly changing the paradigm,“ she stated. „We are becoming guests in the patient’s home, whereas the patient is the guest in a physical setting. Everyone speaks of patient-centered care—there is truly no better model than this to achieve it.“
The expansion of coverage for home hospitalization programs would not only allow hospitals to provide patients with a more comfortable healing environment, but it could also help alleviate burnout among healthcare workers, O’Sullivan noted.
Many clinicians have found that delivering care at home enables them to connect with patients in a more personable manner. The increased job satisfaction reported among healthcare professionals actively participating in home hospitalization programs is an often-overlooked benefit, she remarked.
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