Hello there!
I am doing some busy rounds today.
As a nurse, I barely have time off.
Patients are always in need of attention, and it is my job to make sure their requirements
are being met.
Although, these requirements could be better addressed at home than in a hospital.
Yes, you heard that right.
Many experts have pointed out that treating patients at home is more effective physically
and financially.
So to give you a better understanding, let’s talk about it in detail.
First of all, let me begin with a hypothetical scenario, you are a woman in her mid-40s.
You wake up one morning and realize that you are late for work.
You have hypertension, so it’s not healthy for you to be stressed.
But since you’re late, your health will have to take a back seat.
You get up and rush to the bathroom to take a shower.
You're in full panic mode, your body is shaking and you have no idea how to manage it.
On top of it, you are worried because you don't know what will happen if you don't hurry.
You don't want to get scolded by your boss and you don't want to get fired.
So you try to rush as quick as possible.
Unfortunately, while you’re at it, you’re also putting a lot of pressure on your body.
Your brain starts sending panic messages to the rest of the body.
Your heart starts beating very fast, which puts too much pressure on your blood vessels.
Thus causing a spike in your blood pressure.
Do I need to tell you what’s going to happen next or can you guess?
Yes, you either fainted because your blood pressure had spiked sporadically or you had
a stroke.
Following that, you end up in the hospital.
The first thing you may notice is the worried faces of your loved ones.
You are then made aware of the time you’re going to spend in the hospital along with
the total cost.
Now just think for a second, "What if instead of taking you to the hospital, they manage
to bring the doctor and the medical facilities to your home?"
You wouldn't have to pay as much as you would have to in the hospital.
More importantly, your recovery time will be less.
Why is it that way?
One of the primary reasons is that you will be treated in a familiar environment.
Therefore, it will be a psychological advantage for you.
The brain will recognize the surroundings and make you feel comfortable.
It will also make your body more responsive to medication.
Although, that is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are more reasons.
In one study by Dr. David Levine, he and his team conducted research on more than 90 patients
of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The patients had a wide range of problems at the time of their admission.
Starting from infection and cardiovascular problems, all the way to Chronic Obtrusive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma.
An interesting thing to note was that most of them lived within 5 miles from the hospital.
Dr. Levine and other members of his team decided to keep some patients at the hospital and
give them the traditional care.
Other patients were given the same care at home.
By the end of this study, there were two startling discoveries made..
One of them was…
Lower Cost Rate
The patients who received medical care at home had a lower cost rate compared to the
ones who received care at the hospital.
Oh and the difference isn't that small, as a matter of fact, it is about 40%.
Yes, if you could take medical care at home instead of going to the hospital then you
will end up saving a lot of money.
Of course, we can't always be money-minded.
I mean when it comes to these things, we always want what's best, and the best things don't
come cheap.
Well, that mindset might change after you learn about their other discovery.
Lower Rate of Readmission
Bare with us because this point is going to be longer than the previous one.
According to the study, people who were given medical care at home had less requirements
regarding laboratory tests, X-Ray or MRI.
They also required less consultation.
Interesting, right?
Who would have imagined that giving medication at home was so useful?
Patients who were at home had a faster healing rate than those who were at the hospital.
More importantly, there were less cases of readmission in comparison to those who were
treated at the hospital.
4:09
When you put them side by side, only 7% of people among those who were treated at home
were readmitted.
While around 23% of people who were treated at the hospital had to be readmitted once
again.
Now that is a convincing point if you think about it.
This also brings about another question, "Do we really need Medical Care at home?"
You may think that you don't.
At least for now.
This will change as you grow older.
According to a study, it was found that most people who seek medical attention are people
over the age of 85.
They have poor health, and are of very low income.
Most of them also require readmission.
For people like that, delivering health care to their homes could be more useful.You also
have a better chance of curing them than by taking them to hospitals.
If you have grandparents at home, who are constantly falling ill, sending healthcare
to their home could be a way of helping them get in shape.
This would also mean that your grandparents would get to live long enough to be a part
of your lives.
Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more rare due to the rise in healthcare costs.
So considering all of these things, treating people at home could be very helpful.
Not impressed yet?
Well, we have some more benefits for you to consider.
Before we continue, are you concerned about the overall state of your health?
Check out our recent video on 13 Foods Diabetics Should Be Eating.
#1 It Keeps Patients Away From Hospitals
This is true.
We don't mind having patients in the hospitals, but it would be better if they were treated
at home.
A hospital is a place where many people come with a variety of problems.
Hence, it is always flooded with millions of microorganisms.
In other words, it is not a healthy place for people to stay in.
On the other hand, a clean and tidy home has less microorganisms.
Hence, it is more apt for patients to stay in.
#2 A Patient's Comfort Zone
As we said earlier, your home is your comfort zone.
You are aware of your surroundings.
You know where your shoes are kept, which place the television is and where all the
furniture is placed.
Your brain is also familiar with these surroundings, which gives you a psychological advantage.
Your body is also more used to your own bed than any other.
In other words, your house is the best place for you to be receiving medical attention.
Now, let's talk about the third point.
#3 It is Cost Effective
Once again, we would be repeating a point that we mentioned earlier.
This time, we have another fact we would like to throw your way.
When the Independence at Home Act was implemented in certain U.S. states, it was found that
it helped people save $32 million in a period of 2 years.
More importantly, it was seen to be more effective for the elderly people, who were facing the
trouble of being readmitted again and again.
So, do we need healthcare at home?
Going by the points I have just discussed in this video, I would suggest that we do.
I mean yes, it is always good to run to the doctor.
But the benefits of providing healthcare at home outweigh those things.
Of course, we would also like to add that not all types of health problems can be dealt
with at home.
For example, a surgery or a chemotherapy session is better off being performed at a hospital
than at home.
So I guess it would ultimately depend on the health problem and the patient.
Do you agree with the points stated?
Should healthcare be provided at home?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!