Hospital-level care at home versus inpatient hospital care: costs and effectiveness
Hospital at Home Versus Inpatient Care: Costs and Effectiveness
This project will test whether giving hospital-level care at home instead of staying in the hospital saves money and works as well for adults who need acute medical treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Hospital at Home AG Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 1 site (Zollikon, Canton of Zurich) |
| Trial ID | NCT07274072 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is an observational comparison of adults treated in a Hospital at Home (HaH) program versus traditional inpatient care, using two referral pathways: admission avoidance and early supported discharge. The HaH model delivers daily physician and nursing visits plus infusions, physiotherapy and diagnostics at the patient’s home in coordination with hospitals and home-care services. The study collects health care cost data, clinical outcomes (including mortality and readmission), and patient satisfaction using medical records and patient questionnaires. Participants are adults able to consent and fluent in German or English, enrolled through Hospital at Home AG and Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (≥18) admitted to hospital or eligible for HaH for typical diagnoses such as mild-to-moderate infections, COPD or heart-failure exacerbations, wound care, dehydration, pain crises, or palliative needs who can give informed consent and speak German or English.
Not a fit: Patients with severe cognitive impairment, unstable conditions requiring intensive inpatient interventions, or who live outside the program's service area or lack German/English proficiency are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower healthcare costs while letting patients recover at home with similar clinical outcomes and higher satisfaction.
How similar studies have performed: Multiple international studies and systematic reviews have reported that Hospital at Home programs are generally safe and can yield comparable mortality, fewer readmissions, shorter hospital stays, and cost advantages.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Inpatients in the hospital or patients in Hospital at Home care * Age ≥ 18 years * Admission due to a typical Hospital at Home diagnosis (mild to moderate inflammatory and infectious diseases of the lungs, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, heart, and skin; exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; exacerbation of chronic heart failure; wounds; bleeding/anemia; dehydration; deterioration of general condition in multimorbid patients; infection-related complications in oncological patients; psychiatric problems including delirium; metabolic or autoimmune diseases; orthopedic patients; pain exacerbations of any cause; palliative patients up to and including terminal situations) * Patients without severe cognitive impairment or dysfunction who are capable of providing informed consent and/or completing the questionnaire * Patients with sufficient proficiency in written and spoken German and/or English Exclusion Criteria: * Inpatient admission for other reasons * Refusal to provide informed consent
Where this trial is running
Zollikon, Canton of Zurich
- Hospital at Home AG — Zollikon, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Kilian Braendle, Dr. med.
- Email: kilian.braendle@hospitalathome.ch
- Phone: +41444553304
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.