Hospital Care Delivered at Home: The Future of Healthcare in Asia with Hospital-at-Home
摘要
The rise in ageing demographics, non-communicable diseases and care needs seen in Asia will pose significant challenges on healthcare delivery and hospital-level resources. Hospital-at-Home (HaH) is a substitute to hospital inpatient care provided at the person’s home. It is a potential solution to this demand–supply gap. This narrative review synthesised evidence drawn from existing published scientific literature, relevant policy documents, and specialist societies’ statements related to HaH. A predefined framework guided this review covering (1) an overview of HaH, its implementation and delivery (2) the evidence supporting it, (3) drivers for its growth outside Asia, and (4) its place in Asia’s future. This review also detailed specific considerations for HaH’s adoption in Asia. The evidence to date has concluded that HaHs are generally safe, deliver comparable outcomes to usual inpatient care, and is acceptable by the public. Cost evaluation studies remain limited. In Asia, there is only one country that has an established nationally funded HaH service. For HaH to be widely implemented in this region, there are unique considerations to be considered (rural–urban setting, language, culture, technological and healthcare aspects). HaH can be a viable strategy to manage acute care demands in Asia.