Home Heart Hospital Associated With Reduced Hospitalizations and Costs Among High-Cost Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Background

There is no widely accepted care model for managing high-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients. We hypothesized that a Home Heart Hospital (H3), which provides longitudinal, hospital-level at-home care, would improve care quality and reduce costs for HNHC patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objective

To evaluate associations between enrollment in H3, which provides longitudinal, hospital-level at-home care, care quality, and costs for HNHC patients with CVD.

Methods

This retrospective within-subject cohort study used insurance claims and electronic health records data to evaluate unadjusted and adjusted annualized hospitalization rates, total costs of care, part A costs, and mortality rates before, during, and following H3.

Results

Ninety-four patients were enrolled in H3 between February 2019 and October 2021. Patients' mean age was 75 years and 50% were female. Common comorbidities included congestive heart failure (50%), atrial fibrillation (37%), coronary artery disease (44%). Relative to pre-enrollment, enrollment in H3 was associated with significant reductions in annualized hospitalization rates (absolute reduction (AR): 2.4 hospitalizations/year, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −0.8, −4.0; p < 0.001; total costs of care (AR: −$56 990, 95% CI: −$105 170, −$8810; p < 0.05; and part A costs (AR: −$78 210, 95% CI: −$114 770, −$41 640; p < 0.001). Annualized post-H3 total costs and part A costs were significantly lower than pre-enrollment costs (total costs of care: −$113 510, 95% CI: −$151 340, −$65 320; p < 0.001; part A costs: −$84 480, 95% CI: −$121 040, −$47 920; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Longitudinal home-based care models hold promise for improving quality and reducing healthcare spending for HNHC patients with CVD.