The program is covered by the hospital at no cost to the patient. The team is looking to expand to 20 diagnoses in the future. But hospital officials have developed a checklist with guiding principles that allows the program to be expanded to other diagnoses, according to Christopher Lynch, medical director of Safer at Home. The program primarily serves patients with 10 different diagnoses, including skin and bone infections, kidney infections, bacterial and viral pneumonia, asthma and congestive heart failure. Being hospitalized you’re also away from family and friends, and the restrictions on visits make it hard to stay connected to your loved ones.” It’s scary trying to figure out what’s wrong with oneself and waiting in a room isolated. “When I’m hospitalized, I get stressed out,” he said. Nurses called him several times a day to track his progress, to make sure he was taking his medication properly and on time, and to answer any questions that Muniz had. Muniz was sent home with a pre-programmed cellphone that allowed him to communicate with his medical team via audio or video call, as well as equipment including a thermometer and pulse oximeter. On average, the program has saved about three hospital days per patient, compared with the typical stay of around five days. Slightly more than half of the patients were referred from the emergency department and avoided admission altogether a little fewer than half were hospitalized but discharged much earlier, according to Spellberg. “What this is, is concierge-level medicine, which is what rich people are accustomed to getting, but instead we’re giving it to the patients coming to LA General, both because it’s safer for the patients to not have to be in the hospital and it’s a much more patient-centered experience,” said Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer of LA General.
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