The NWE-Chance project is coming to an end soon and is therefore in position to share the results of its feasibility, the lessons learned and its plans for promoting hospitalisation@home further.
Hospitalisation@home: Why?
Ideas about and use of hybrid models of care (combining virtual and face2face care delivery) are emerging in 2021 because of the intensive use of digital health during the series of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. During 2020-21, patients and health and care professionals have been exposed to new ways of interacting with each other. As a consequence, the delivery of care is being transformed, based on people’s experiences of combining traditional care with new ways of working and receiving care.
The project NWE-Chance (www.nweurope.eu/nwe-chance) has investigated how different digital health devices can be integrated in a single platform. After the necessary development, the project has tested the platform in a feasibility study where patients who are recovering from heart failure have been admitted at home. Needless to say that this is becoming even more important since, in this time of COVID, being hospitalised safely at home is often more attractive than being admitted to hospital.
Of course, the safety and quality of the patient’s treatment need to be maintained at least at the same level at home as in the hospital. This is where the technology – and the integrated platform being developed in NWE-Chance – comes into play and supports nurses daily job.
Furthermore, experience at the Isala Heart Centre Zwolle (Netherlands) (www.isala.nl) demonstrates that being hospitalised at home is also a beneficial experience for vulnerable patients. When patients are hospitalised at home, Isala has indeed noticed reductions in the risk of hospital-acquired infections, delirium, and accidents from falls. It has even observed that hospitalisation at home stimulates patients to be more active.
What is in it for you?
With its half-day event hosted on March 2 2022, from 9 to 12.30, in AgeingFit 2022, NWE-Chance will offer its conclusions and lessons learned to
- Hospital managers to learn about how to adapt the organisation and what kind of impact can be expected in terms of health outcomes and resource use
- Users, i.e. health professionals, patients and their informal carers, to learn about how the NWE-Chance users have perceived the benefits and drawbacks of hospitalisation@home
- Technology providers to learn about how the NWE-Platform has integrated the solutions three technology providers and how it can do more.
Have a look at the Programme.