Research Shows Home Care for COPD More Cost-Effective Than Hospital

Researchers from the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement improved outcomes by creating a program that moved care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from the hospital to their homes.

The program, known as INSPIRED, is a hospital-to-home initiative between Canadian health systems. Clinicians identify patients who are frequent users of the emergency department and hospital services, and invite them into a supportive program that enables them to manage their COPD on their own. The program also gives patients tools to manage their COPD in their community-setting, such as phone support, action plans, and psychosocial support.

“Too often, people with chronic diseases like COPD end up in hospital because the care they need is not available in the community,” Maureen O’Neil, president of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, said in a press release. “INSPIRED provides the services patients and their families tell us they need to manage their disease outside of hospital and now we are expanding this innovative collaboration to benefit more patients.”

The researchers found that the program cut COPD-related hospital readmissions by 64% and reduced emergency department (ED) visits by 52%. The researchers also found that the program improved quality of life by giving patients more control over their disease and health care decision making.

“These results are important because they show we can keep people with chronic disease out of the hospital by partnering with them to reinvent the way we deliver care so it meets their needs,” Maria Judd, vice president of programs at the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, said. “All who use and pay for the health care system, not just those with a chronic disease, will benefit from the ED and hospital bed capacity this approach will free up as it spreads across the country.”

—David Costill

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