The Institute for Health Improvement's report, Patient Safety in the Home: Assessment of Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities, explores the growing scope of care at home and the safety precautions and concerns that must be addressed as a result, including funding considerations. The report also suggests research opportunities to fully understand, measure, and improve the safety of home care. IHI contends that economics, demographics, patient preference, and technology are driving the healthcare system continues to shift away from inpatient care. The report examines safety issues in the home, including challenges, funding mechanisms to support safe home care, and conceptual frameworks that seek to structure these disparate issues. Among the challenges related to patient safety in the home are:
- Fragmentation of care;
- Household hazards;
- Ill-prepared family caregivers;
- Limited training and regulation of home care workers;
- Inadequate communication among patients, caregivers, and providers; and
- Misaligned payment incentives.