Moving hospital care to the patient’s home: Implications for value co-creation and its actors

Other conference contribution, 2024

Facing challenges of higher healthcare demands, an aging population, budget constraints, and scarcity of healthcare staff, new ways of organising healthcare are needed. One example is hospitals at home (HaH), where in-patient care services are delivered in patients’ homes instead of hospitals. HaH is often supported by digital technology such as self or distance monitoring, as well as around-the-clock support from the hospital. However, it is critical to operationalise the organisation of HaH to ensure envisioned efficiency gains and impacts on value-creation. This paper explores how different enrolment strategies affect value-creation and patients’ acceptance of HaH programmes. A qualitative case study approach was employed, utilising semi-structured interviews with diverse healthcare professionals and key informants. The study suggests that ESD (early supported discharge) may realize more value, while AA (admission avoidance) may have higher acceptability due to differing patient interactions and expectations. Effective expectation management and early information are crucial for improving acceptance of HaH programmes. These findings imply that tailored strategies are needed to balance value-creation and patient acceptance in HaH programmes.