Florida Hospital to Provide New Option for Acute Care at Home

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) has created the TGH Hospital at Home program to allow patients to receive hospital-level treatment while remaining in their homes.

Tampa General Hospital is a 1,041-bed nonprofit academic medical center based in Florida.

As methods of hybrid care expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, providers continue to search for ways to assist patients virtually and often from the comfort of their homes. Hospital-at-home programs have become popular to improve patient outcomes and ensure continued care, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The TGH Hospital at Home program will enable patients to participate in two daily visits that involve a member of the at-home clinical team making an in-person visit to the patient's home. They will also be able to access their care teams through virtual visits.

In addition to receiving visits from physicians, physician assistants, and nurses, patients will receive continuous remote patient monitoring (RPM). TGH has collaborated with an RPM platform known as Biobeat that will provide vital sign-transmitting technology.

TGH is also working with TytoCare to create the TGH Virtual Health Kit, which will include a tablet device that allows for communication between providers and patients.

"TGH at Home is a true model of innovation – integrating high-tech applications such as remote patient monitoring and telehealth visits with in-person care by trained healthcare providers," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital, in a press release. "We can give patients what they really want – world-class care in their own environment. In addition to enhancing the patient experience, hospital at home care has been shown to improve quality and service."

But patients must receive approval from the hospital before being able to participate in the at-home care program.

The first requirement is that an initial visit to the hospital must occur, allowing providers to evaluate patients in the emergency department. Also, a diagnosis of either congestive heart failure, urinary tract infection, cellulitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes is necessary for admission to the at-home hospital program.

TGH anticipates that the program will provide various patient benefits, including enhanced privacy, comfort, lower chances of exposure to contagious illnesses within the hospital, and overall positive results, according to the press release. 

As noted above, hospital-at-home programs have recently increased, with many organizations implementing these care models.

In June, Yale New Haven Health created an at-home hospital to provide high-acuity care at home to those with certain conditions, including heart failure, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Appalachian Regional Healthcare also implemented an at-home hospital program in June. The program leverages Biofoumis technology to deliver remote care, particularly to patients residing in rural areas who are often underserved.