April 2025 | Evan Williams
AI algorithms can help clinicians identify patients that may be suitable for acute inpatient care at home. Wearable tech monitors patients’ vital signs. For Mayo, a device called MedaCube delivers bedside medication, controlled by a clinician in the command center, who pushes a button on a screen, causing a little drawer with the meds to pop out of the device in the patient’s home.
Mayo also is partnering with Zipline to use drones for deliveries of medical supplies and equipment to patient homes, likely starting near the end of this year.
All of these elements help create a “protective shell” around patients that mimics a traditional hospital setting, says Dr. Michael Maniaci, who leads Mayo’s hospital-at-home effort.
Hospital-at-home programs reflect the broader growth of home health care.
Since 2023, Mayo has offered what it calls Cancer CARE Beyond Walls to deliver chemotherapy and other services to cancer patients in their homes. In April, Tampabased Moffitt Cancer Center plans to launch a clinical trial examining on-demand symptom management for at-home patients, including those experiencing the often-profound side effects of cancer treatment.
Home hospital programs may also offer a solution to health care systems as they strain under population growth, says Dr. Tim Hembree, Moffitt vice president and chief quality officer. “One approach is to build brick-and-mortar hospitals and clinics as fast as possible. The other approach is, can we do some of the things we currently do in the home setting? I think we have to consider that as a big proportion of what we’re doing in the future.”
Unlike other types of home care, hospital-at-home is only for patients who require inpatient-level care. Dr. Christopher Bucciarelli, vice president of ambulatory services and chief medical officer for BayCare, says it’s generally safer for senior patients, who are more at risk of delirium and falls when in the hospital. It can also be a good fit for immunocompromised patients, who need to be isolated in a hospital setting.