‎A large proportion of hospital admissions, particularly for older adults, are made through emergency departments. Providing home-based care instead of admitting patients following an ED admission could help to avoid adverse events such as the contraction of hospital-acquired infections, delirium and falls. Research on emergency physicians' attitudes towards home-based care found that of 1,200 surveyed, 55 percent had ordered home-based care as an alternative to hospital admission in the prior 12 months, with the majority doing so less than once per month. Home-based care was considered a more optimum setting for low-acuity chronic or acute disease exacerbation scenarios. However, barriers to its provision included unsafe or unstable home environments. Conditions considered for home-based care included urinary tract infections, cellulitis, community-acquired pneumonia and diabetes. The authors conclude that: "providing home-based services is associated with better outcomes for patients, but it may also be associated with higher costs due to increased use of medical services, which can lead to greater health
‎A large proportion of hospital admissions, particularly for older adults, are made through emergency departments. Providing home-based care instead of admitting patients following an ED admission could help to avoid adverse events such as the contraction of hospital-acquired infections, delirium and falls. Research on emergency physicians' attitudes towards home-based care found that of 1,200 surveyed, 55 percent had ordered home-based care as an alternative to hospital admission in the prior 12 months, with the majority doing so less than once per month. Home-based care was considered a more optimum setting for low-acuity chronic or acute disease exacerbation scenarios. However, barriers to its provision included unsafe or unstable home environments. Conditions considered for home-based care included urinary tract infections, cellulitis, community-acquired pneumonia and diabetes. The study found that emergency department doctors saw a benefit to providing care at home, given that the setting was safe and a system for discharge was in place.