Hospital-at-home launches in BC’s Lower Mainland

VANCOUVER – Patients are benefiting from convenient, safe and timely acute-level care from the comfort of their own home as the Hospital at Home (HaH) program launches in several hospitals in Vancouver. HaH is an internationally recognized model that is both safe and effective, and is designed to improve patient comfort, privacy and independence.

The teams include doctors, registered nurses, pharmacists, occupational and physiotherapists, and speech-language pathologists, among others. Other specialists may be provided as needed so care is tailored to a patient’s individual needs.

“Giving patients the option to receive safe and individualized care in their own homes not only helps with the recovery of the patient, but it also benefits the healthcare system,” said Adrian Dix, minister of Health. “Piloted in the Island Health’s hospitals, the Hospital at Home program has had remarkably successful results. As our government is committed to strengthening people’s access to high-quality health services, the launch of this program in the Lower Mainland will help improve care at Vancouver hospitals.”

Eligible patients at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), UBC Hospital (UBCH), St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital (MSJH) can choose to receive acute care in their own home rather than the hospital, if deemed safe and appropriate.

The program is open to qualifying patients at VGH, UBCH, SPH and MSJH who have a diagnosis, such as (but not limited to) sepsis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or dehydration.

“The biggest benefit of Hospital at Home we hear from our patients is that they get to recover in their own home,” said Dr. Iain McCormick, Hospital at Home medical lead, VGH. “Patients have a lot of support wrapped around them, including daily in-person visits and a mix of virtual and monitoring technologies.”

Since March 2024, the Hospital at Home program has supported as many as 18 patients at a time in Vancouver. Qualifying patients must be medically and geographically appropriate for the program and participation is voluntary.

While in the HaH program, patients have a virtual call bell and phone number to connect with their care team 24/7. If patients no longer want to participate in the program or their condition changes, the health authority will co-ordinate their transfer back to the hospital.

The multidisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals make daily visits to patients at their own homes. Patients receive one visit a day from the HaH nurses, who are also available to patients 24/7 for consultation and check-ins. Other members of the HaH team are also available to provide virtual visits.

Care teams provide services, including medication management, blood draws, IV therapy and supplemental oxygen. Transfers to hospital can be arranged for services provided only in hospital.

“Patients need to meet certain criteria, including living within the boundaries of the city of Vancouver,” said Dr. Jonathan Dick (pictured), Hospital at Home medical lead, Providence Health Care. “This ensures patients can get back to the hospital setting quickly if needed and care providers spend minimal time on the road.”

Through a partnership with Evo Car Share, all registered hospital staff have access to a vehicle to visit patients each day, with in-person and virtual visits from doctors and other healthcare providers as required.

Data from B.C.’s first HaH program in Island Health, which launched in 2020, shows that with its 18 Hospital at Home beds, Island Health has been able to provide more than 17,500 added days of treatment since its launch.

An evaluation after the first year of Island Health HaH service found:

• ninety-nine percent of patients would recommend HaH to family and friends;
• ninety-eight percent of caregivers would recommend HaH and felt confident as a caregiver; and
• all the staff would recommend HaH to friends and family.

Demonstrated outcomes of HaH include, but are not limited to:

• improved patient comfort, privacy and independence;
• improved caregiver satisfaction and involvement; and
• decreased risk of hospital-acquired delirium, infections and mortality.

To learn more about Hospital at Home, visit https://www.vch.ca/en/service/hospital-home.