BMJ 1998;316:1761-1762 ( 13 June )

Editorials

Hospital at home: from red to amber?

Data that will reassure advocatesbut without satisfying the sceptics

General practice pp 1786, 1791, 1796, 1802

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Hospital at home schemes providing care in the patient's home that is traditionally provided in hospital have grown in importance in health services in both Europe and North America and are seen as a possible substitute for inpatient care in the National Health Service.¹ The limited experience of hospital at home developments in the United Kingdom suggests that savings can be made when such services are substituted for usual hospital care, at least for some patient groups,² but a recent systematic review of the English language literature provides little evidence to support this innovatory approach to acute care.³ Few trials of hospital at home services have, however, been done, and most have been small, with no consistency in outcome measures and little attempt at economic evaluation.

The many purchasers and providers planning hospital at home schemes⁴ have had little guidance on how to proceed, with the result that many recent . . . [Full text of this article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Hardy, C, Whitwell, D, Sarsfield, B, Maimaris, C (2001). Admission avoidance and early discharge of acute hospital admissions: an accident and emergency based scheme. Emerg. Med. J. 18: 435-440 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Geddes, J. M., Chamberlain, M A. (2001). Home-based rehabilitation for people with stroke: a comparative study of six community services providing co-ordinated, multidisciplinary treatment. Clin Rehabil 15: 589-599 [Abstract]  
• Anderson, C., Mhurchu, C. N., Rubenach, S., Clark, M., Spencer, C., Winsor, A. (2000). Home or Hospital for Stroke Rehabilitation? Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial : II: Cost Minimization Analysis at 6 Months. Stroke 31: 1032-1037 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Wilson, A., Parker, H., Wynn, A., Jagger, C., Spiers, N., Jones, J., Parker, G. (1999). Randomised controlled trial of effectiveness of Leicester hospital at home scheme compared with hospital care. BMJ 319: 1542-1546 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Sims, J., Rink, E., Cleary, M., Pearson, C., Lloyd, K., Lilford, R J, Shaw, H., Coast, J., Richards, S. H, Peters, T. J, Gunnell, D. J, Darlow, M.-A., Pounsford, J. (1998). Hospital at home. BMJ 317: 1651-1651 [Full text]  

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