A lack of understanding of healthcare systems slowing shift from hospital to home care
Migrating to care at home will help curtail rising healthcare costs
The opportunity to deliver better healthcare outcomes by migrating care from hospitals to home is widely recognised.
At the current time, with hospitals struggling to recruit and retain the healthcare workers they need, the increasing number of delayed discharges and the development of preventative and personalised treatments, adoption of the home care could be very beneficial.
However, PA Consulting’s global survey of 550 leaders across public and private healthcare found that nearly two thirds (65 per cent) considered a lack of understanding of healthcare systems and pathways by medtech and pharma as slowing adoption in the next five years.
Despite global respondents to PA’s survey believing moving care from hospital to home will help curtail rising healthcare costs in the next three years, PA’s research shows a lack of understanding, collaboration, and co-development between stakeholders.
While healthcare leaders see medtech and pharma’s lack of understanding of healthcare systems as the biggest barrier, health and care professionals are wary of underdeveloped infrastructure, technological and financial implications, and clinical and reputational impact.
Opportunities and challenges
Seventy-two per cent of healthcare leaders said their organisation is prioritising at-home solutions – including diagnostics, monitoring, and advanced drug delivery systems – to provide patients with quality care while protecting capacity.
Seventy-one per cent of global healthcare leaders explained that their organisation has a strategy for migration from hospital to home but believe health and care professionals doubt that treatments delivered at home are as safe as those delivered in traditional settings.
Less than a third (28 per cent) of healthcare leaders said physicians are motivated to transition from hospital care to home despite the positive medical outcomes. In five years’ time – when it is expected that hospital at home will be mainstream – this only rises to 40 per cent.
Amanda Grantham, Healthcare Expert at PA Consulting said: “As hospital to home solutions become more economically viable, match and exceed the efficacy of treatments delivered in hospitals, and improve the experience of patients and professionals, the dynamics of healthcare will change.
“By co-developing solutions, ecosystem stakeholders can open up market opportunities and create a win-win model that delivers value for all.”
Steps to accelerate the shift
The report highlights four keys steps that can bolster the shift from hospital to home care:
- Engaging all stakeholders to collaboratively define future care – focusing on patients and the outcomes, rather than equipment or technology
- Differentiate through experience – create better, safer and easier experiences for both patients and professionals
- Deploy digital with intention – digital solutions will more likely see widespread adoption where there is a clear link between solution and value
- Show the value – better health outcomes as a result of shifting site of care will benefit patients and reduce pressure on healthcare practitioners.
Hilary Thomas, Health and Life Sciences Expert at PA Consulting, commented: “Market leaders across the worldwide healthcare, medtech, and pharma landscape are pushing the boundaries of possibility, using breakthrough technologies, science, and data to redesign care pathways that unlock new opportunities.
“At the heart of this opportunity is shifting the site of care to the most appropriate, most economic location.”