Analysis of the Virtual Acute Care at Home Experience

Examining the Intervention Effectiveness of Hospital at Home for Improving Health Outcomes and Experiences for Patients, Clinicians, and Caregivers

The purpose of this study is to examine the implementation, intervention effectiveness, and dissemination of a digital acute care delivery model for improving selected health outcomes in the Hospital at Home population.

The investigators will conduct a mixed-methods quasi-experimental research study that will explore the effectiveness of the Hospital at home programs using qualitative interviews and quantitative data as a means to also conduct a process evaluation related to the implementation and efficacy of Hospital at Home programs. The purpose of this pragmatic study is to inform scalability beyond the initial site for implementation within a large healthcare system with a diverse patient population located in various communities, including rural and urban locations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients 18 years and older who are admitted into the Hospital at Home program after presenting to the emergency department or who are inpatients that can be cared at home for hospital level needs
• Patients meeting the hospital's criteria for admission by diagnosis type (e.g., heart failure, respiratory infections and inflammations, renal failure, diabetes, pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fever and inflammatory conditions, viral illnesses, other disorders of the nervous system). Diagnoses are determined by clinicians not researchers.
• Patients will need to reside within 30 minutes' drive time from the hospital

Patient caregiver inclusion criteria: (not required for patient participation):

• Age >= 18 years old
• as capacity to consent to study

Clinician or stakeholder inclusion criteria:

• Any member of the home hospital clinical team (a healthcare professional who providing care or equipment for use in the home) who will be participating in delivery of healthcare services,
• Any member of the hospital care teams, including the screening and recruitment of patients for the home hospital intervention and/or providing care to patients that enroll in the intervention that is provided
• Any member of the leadership team who are involved in the operational aspects of program delivery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Need for long-term facility level care or current residence in a facility of this type
• No one will be excluded on the basis of sex or race