Home Hospitalization in the COVID-19 Pandemic A Hospitalização Domiciliária na Pandemia COVID-19

Abstract

Home hospitalization has been implemented in the Portuguese health system as a model of hospital-level assistance at home. It is an alternative to conventional hospitalization for acute or acute-on-chronic patients. The admission to this type of hospital care is voluntary. Admission criteria must be guaranteed: clinical stability with controllable comorbidities at home, presence of caregiver and home with good hygiene and safety conditions, home in the area of influence of the referral hospital. The advantages of home hospitalization seem to be evident, namely with regard to the significant reduction in nosocomial infections, falls and episodes of acute confusional syndrome.
In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, home hospitalization can be part of the health system’s response solution, not only by increasing the home care capacity of patients without SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also, complying with all the recommendations of safety, be a possibility of hospitalization for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection after at least 7 days of conventional hospitalization with clinical stability, possibility of isolation and caregiver without vulnerable health condition. The health team of home hospitalization assumes a key role in health education, teaching in terms of isolation measures, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Once the admission criteria are met, home hospitalization is a type of hospitalization that allows efficiency to be achieved without prejudice to patient safety.