Home Hospital differs from traditional hospital stays by offering care in the patient's home, creating a more comfortable and familiar environment. This model emphasizes personalized care plans and flexibility in visitation and routines, while ensuring that the safety and quality of care remain the same as in a traditional hospital setting.

Patients must be seen in a Mass General Brigham hospital in the Emergency Department or as an inpatient before they are eligible for Home Hospital. If you and your provider decide Home Hospital is the right choice for you, your provider will refer you to Home Hospital. They will only recommend Home Hospital to you if it is clinically appropriate.

Just like in the hospital, your team will consist of Mass General Brigham doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. You will likely also be visited by specially trained Mass General Brigham paramedics during your admission at home.  

Our aim is to alleviate the burden on caregivers, allowing them to focus on their loved one's emotional well-being and their own self-care throughout the healing process. A caregiver’s level of responsibility can vary based on the patient's needs and the caregiver's capabilities. In Home Hospital, medical care is managed solely by the Home Hospital team, similar to an inpatient stay. However, caregivers play an important role in the decision-making process regarding whether Home Hospital is the right choice for their loved one. While caregivers are not expected to handle medical tasks, they can provide vital support in activities such as helping the patient stay hydrated, change their clothes, shower, and go to the bathroom, all within the familiar environment of home. This familiarity often contributes significantly to faster healing and recovery for patients. 

Yes. We communicate with your doctors and value their input.

If you have been approached about Home Hospital, you have been identified as someone for whom we believe we can safely provide care at home. However, you are being monitored remotely 24 hours a day by a team of nurses, and help can be rushed to you. If you ever want or need to return to the hospital, our home hospital team will coordinate a safe transfer back to the hospital.

How long you’ll be treated depends on your condition and needs. For most patients, it’s usually five to six days. When you’re ready to be discharged, your team will evaluate whether you need ongoing nurse visits, physical therapy, or other services. Your primary care physician will also be involved in this conversation.

The goal is to facilitate a smooth transition from Home Hospital to continued care. After discharge from Home Hospital, we will create a follow-up care plan that is tailored to your specific needs and recovery progress. These plans often include scheduled visits from our providers, such as nurses or therapists, to monitor your health status, assess progress, and adjust treatment as necessary. Additionally, if needed, you may be referred to outpatient services or rehabilitation programs to continue your recovery journey and ensure ongoing support and medical supervision.

Every adult patient with an eligible diagnosis has equitable access. Your doctor will recommend Home Hospital to you if it is appropriate for your condition and needs. Home Hospital is a geographically based service (click here to view a map of Home Hospital's service area). Eligible patients must live in towns within a 30-minute drive time of a participating Mass General Brigham facility.

There is no additional cost to you for Home Hospital care other than expenses you would normally have when hospitalized. We accept all patients regardless of insurance.

Mass General Brigham will handle the billing for your admission and bill your insurance (as appropriate). You will receive a bill if you have copays or receive services not covered by your insurance. In the unlikely event that you do receive a bill, please contact Patient Billing Solutions at 617-726-3884 Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Home Hospital is entirely voluntary. It will only be offered if your medical team believes it is a good option for you, and you can choose to be admitted to the traditional hospital if that makes you feel more comfortable.

During your Home Hospital admission, you’ll be seen at least twice daily in person in addition to your virtual visits with doctors and other caregivers. If you need any help between visits, you can contact the Home Hospital team 24/7, and they can arrange for urgent or unplanned visits. You are never out of touch.

We will provide you with instructions on how to reach your team if you have questions or concerns. In the case of an emergency, you should always call 911.

Transportation home varies case by case. In some cases, patients return home with whomever came with them to the hospital, but we may provide transportation, as well.  When you arrive home, your care team will meet you to set up everything you need. They’ll talk with you about when follow-up visits will occur. The team will do their best to accommodate your schedule, but the timing of the visits depends on the timing of your medication and your clinical needs.

Admission to Home Hospital is the same as being admitted to the regular hospital. You should not be leaving your home while admitted unless it has been discussed in advance with your care team. This is important as the Home Hospital team would want to know where you are and be able to get to you quickly in the unlikely event of an emergency.

The Home Hospital team will decide with you whether your medical condition requires continuous monitoring of your vital signs. You may be given an oxygen saturation test or a blood pressure cuff that you put on and send your results to your monitoring team. If necessary, you’ll be given a device that monitors and sends your vitals continuously.

We'll provide you with a visit and medication drop-off schedule that's customized to suit your and your caregiver's availability, ensuring convenience and reliability. Please make sure to be available during the scheduled times or reach out to your care team if you need to discuss rescheduling options.

All patients are entitled to food services while hospitalized, and that includes Home Hospital patients. If needed, the Home Hospital team will provide meal delivery to your home while you are admitted to our service.

We will aim to accommodate your needs and preferences as much as possible. While there may be some adjustments based on your treatment plan and care requirements, the goal is to minimize disruptions to your routine and promote comfort and independence. Our team will work with you to create a schedule that allows you to maintain as many of your usual activities and routines as possible while receiving the necessary medical care and support. You will need to stay at home unless your care plan requires specific treatments or tests, like a CT or MRI, that can only be done at the hospital.

Beloved pets can be a wonderful source of comfort and companionship. For our staff’s safety and to maintain a focused care environment during visits from your Home Hospital care team, pets are required to be secured in another room when we are in the home. This ensures that we can provide you with undivided attention and that your pet remains safe and undisturbed during medical procedures or consultations.