Safer at Home

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

LAC+USC Medical Center has developed a new model of acute care called Safer@Home through which patients receive protocolized, concierge, out-of-hospital care for commonly admitted conditions. The program aims to improve patient safety and experience, and optimize access by enabling innovative, home-based care in lieu of inpatient stays— this is not hospital-at-home, rather it’s concierge medicine at home using remote monitoring and cutting-edge therapeutic approaches. The program has three key components. First, frontline experts develop simple and reliable safety criteria for patient selection. Second, an education team ensures patients receive teaching, medication, and self-monitoring equipment prior to leaving the acute care setting. Third, a physician-supervised, nursing team conducts daily calls and coordinates return evaluations and management until no longer indicated. From 9/1/22 to 4/12/23, Safer@Home cared for 522 patients with 35 different primary diagnoses. Compared to patients hospitalized for those same diagnoses during the previous year, Safer@Home patients spent 1,626 fewer days in the hospital, for an average of 3.12 fewer bed days per patient. There have been no deaths at home, and the program saved the hospital $4,791,167.89 in variable costs in 7.5 months.