‘Virtual hospital’ can mean fewer ER visits and hospital admissions

A project in Alberta, Canada, to provide virtual hospital services at home for patients with complex medical issues is showing promising early results, according to an article on the Folio website.

The effort by University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services has demonstrated an improvement in patient experience and care, reduced ER visits and reduced costs.

The Edmonton Zone Virtual Hospital provides complex case management, medication management, self-care education, provider linkages and connections to primary care physicians for patients with multiple medical issues who have been discharged from acute care at the University of Alberta Hospital. 

Since the virtual hospital was launched in late 2018, 130 patients have been admitted. Results as of June 30, 2019, show that the average length of stay in the virtual hospital was 60 days and the average age of the patients was 76. 

Read the article.