Hospitals Try House Calls to Cut Costs, Admissions

To keep patients out of the hospital, health-care providers are bringing back revamped versions of a time-honored practice: the house call.

In addition to a growing number of doctors treating frail patients at home, insurers and health systems are sending teams of doctors, nurses, physician assistants and pharmacists into homes to monitor patients, administer treatments, ensure medications are being taken properly and assess risks for everything from falling in the shower to family care-giver burnout. Some are adopting programs called "Hospital at Home" to provide hospital-level care in the home, including portable lab tests, ultrasounds, X-rays and electrocardiograms.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal

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