Innovative Home Visit Models Associated with Reductions in Costs, Hospitalizations, and Emergency Department Use

This resource explores the value of five different home visit program models.

•  Home visits offer a way to reach high-risk, high-needs patients before a higher level of care is needed, thereby reducing costs, emergency department (ED) use, and hospitalizations. Home visits can also help address issues such as lack of transportation or limited mobility.
• These models use teams of registered nurses or lay health workers.
• The home visit models provide support in six categories: care coordination, beneficiary or caregiver education, referrals to home and community-based services and supports, disease management, advance care planning, and improving the home safety environment.
• Components associated with greater success included: targeting interventions to individuals most likely to benefit, recruiting experienced staff, using assistive technology, and providing on-call access to providers after hours and on weekends.
• Four of the five home visit models were associated with significant reductions in measures of costs, hospitalizations, or ED use.