AHS pilot program provides hospital care in patients’ homes

Alberta Health Services piloted its Complex Care Hub program at two Calgary hospitals. Through the program, patients are admitted and followed as they would be under a conventional hospital admission, but they aren't transferred to a unit in the hospital. Instead, they recover at home. Participants are monitored by community paramedics and nurses and consult with doctors via Skype. In Edmonton, AHS runs a similar virtual hospital program, while the health authority plans to expand the service into rural areas. This hospital-at-home model became increasingly common in recent years as health systems look to reduce patient load and improve patient outcomes, including by lowering readmission rates.  One benefit to the program during the pandemic was allowing patients an alternative means of receiving care, when anxiety over virus transmission in hospital settings ran high. Experts also say tthe ability for patients to stay at home with their family and familiar settings proves to be a psychological benefit boosting their physical health outcomes