The US Connected Health Collaborative Community (CHcc), a cross-disciplinary body addressing the fragmentation in connected health, launched its inaugural open-source resources to help scale hospital-at-home (HaH) programmes.

HaH is a proven safe, effective and scalable model that enhances patient outcomes, increases healthcare system efficiency, lowers costs and expands access to acute care outside traditional hospital settings. For patients, receiving hospital-level care at home leads to faster recovery, fewer complications and greater comfort. For hospitals, HaH programmes free up hospital beds, easing pressure on the healthcare system. Despite these benefits, uncertainty surrounding policy and payment structures threatens the long-term viability of HaH programmes.

CHcc is co-hosted by the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) with UMass Chan Medical School’s programme in digital medicine as the founding impact sponsor.

“At a time when government funding for healthcare is being reduced, hospital-at-home programmes offer a lifeline to maintain access to essential services,” said Benjamin Vandendriessche, chief delivery officer at DiMe. “By delivering high-quality care in the home at a fraction of the cost of traditional hospital stays, these programmes help health systems preserve critical services. Hospital-at-home is not just a cost-saving measure, it’s a sustainable model that protects patient care, supports frontline staff and ensures communities continue to receive the care they need, even in a time of economic and policy uncertainty.”

To address this uncertainty and to support patients and healthcare system, CHcc is equipping stakeholders with actionable, free tools to transition HaH from a temporary policy initiative to a permanent, sustainable model of care:

• Patient journey map: Guides users through the entire patient experience in HaH, offering insights into clinical services, workflows and technologies.
• Technical and operational considerations: Provides resources and insights for managing the infrastructure to scale HaH programmes efficiently, securely and sustainably.
• Programme evaluation and reimbursement: Helps users select key performance measures, demonstrate RoI, and explore sustainable reimbursement for HaH programmes including value-based care models.
• Pillars of successful implementation: Identifies the five critical areas of successful HaH programmes, supported by case studies to overcome implementation barriers.

“In a time of rapid change and uncertainty in healthcare, hospital-at-home programmes offer a transformative way to deliver high-quality care where patients feel safest: in their home,” said Sarah Schenck, executive director for ChristianaCare Center for Virtual Health (centerforvirtualhealth.christianacare.org). “Having access to free, expert-developed resources is invaluable for designing scalable, compliant programmes that improve patient outcomes, support workforce training and ensure sustainable reimbursement. These tools will empower health systems to enhance the care experience for both patients and providers.”

HaH is one piece of a broader movement to bring high-quality, connected care to patients, wherever they need it. According to a recent report by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and CTA, 89% of Americans aged 50 and older prioritise aging safely and independently at home. However, challenges such as affordability, safety and access to healthcare must be addressed. CHcc is bringing together industry leaders to build a smarter, connected ecosystem to help older adults age in their place of choice safely and independently.

The CHcc is a collaborative community with the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health. It is co-hosted by the DiMe (dimesociety.org), a global non-profit and the professional home for all members of the digital medicine community.