Mass General Brigham's Plan to Shift 10% of Patient Care to Home Settings

Mass General Brigham has set a goal to transition 10% of its medical patients to receive care at home, according to Heather O'Sullivan, the health system's president of healthcare at home. O'Sullivan mentioned during an interview at the HIMSS conference in Orlando that while research suggests that 30-40% of all care in the U.S. could be provided at home, they are starting with a more conservative approach. The health system offers at-home care utilizing remote patient monitoring, meal services, virtual appointments, and in-home clinician visits, with Best Buy being a key partner in their home care program. Patients with conditions like congestive heart failure, COPD, pneumonia, or sepsis are eligible for at-home care, as these conditions can often be managed safely outside of a traditional hospital setting.

O'Sullivan envisions the home becoming the default setting for certain diagnoses, with brick-and-mortar facilities catering to those with acute needs. She highlighted the success of hospital-at-home programs during the Covid-19 pandemic and called for an extension of coverage beyond the current waiver expiration at the end of the year. The shift towards at-home care has been accelerated by the pandemic, as patients have become more comfortable with virtual care and home-based services.

O'Sullivan emphasized the importance of providing patient-centric care in the comfort of their own homes and the potential to reduce healthcare worker burnout through hospital-at-home programs. Clinicians have also found that providing care at home allows for deeper connections with patients, improving job satisfaction and overall well-being. The benefits of at-home care extend beyond just patient comfort, highlighting the need for continued support and coverage for these programs to drive innovation in healthcare delivery.