Safety and implementation of a regional hospital-at-home model: a retrospective observational study from Denmark.
6 affiliations
- 1Ringstedgade 61, Primary Care and eHomeHospital Region Zealand, Naestved, Denmark. [email protected].
- 2Faculty of Health, Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. [email protected].
- 3Emergency Medical Services, Prehospital Center Region Zealand, Naestved, Denmark.
- 4Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
- 5Ringstedgade 61, Primary Care and eHomeHospital Region Zealand, Naestved, Denmark.
- 6Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract
Objectives
To describe the patient population, care pathways, and short-term safety outcomes of a regional hospital-at-home model in Region Zealand, Denmark, between 2022 and 2024, and to explore variation in outcomes by diagnosis and referral source.Design
Retrospective observational study using registry-based data and internal monitoring records.Setting
A publicly funded, cross-sectoral hospital-at-home service coordinated centrally and delivered via municipal nurses and mobile treatment units.Participants
We included 2,511 patients with a median age of 72 years (IQR 60-80). Patients generally presented with substantial comorbidity and represented a broad, clinically diverse population.Main outcome measures
Length of stay, unplanned hospital contacts during treatment or within 24 h after planned completion, 30-day readmissions, and 30-day survival.Results
The median length of stay increased from 5.1 days in 2022 to 7.3 days in 2024. Rates of unplanned hospital contacts remained stable (27.0-31.1%), whereas 30-day readmission rates declined from 11.0% to 7.0% over the study period. Thirty-day survival remained consistently high (91.6-92.4%). Infectious diseases were the most frequent diagnostic category (43-47%). Outcomes varied by diagnosis and referral source, with longer treatment durations observed among patients with orthopaedic and chronic conditions.Conclusions
Hospital-level care delivered in patients' homes was implemented on a regional scale with acceptable short-term outcomes across a clinically complex and socially diverse patient population, including individuals living alone. The variation in outcomes across diagnostic groups underscores the importance of flexible, diagnosis-informed care pathways and structured cross-sectoral organisation in hospital-at-home models.Clinical trial number
Not applicable.
Related
- Regional Collaboration with Home Care Physicians is Associated with a Lower Proportion of In-hospital Deaths in Peritoneal Dialysis patients: A Single-center Retrospective Observational Study
- Characterization of Medication-Related Errors and Prioritization of Patient-Safety Interventions in Hospital Care: A Retrospective Observational Study
- Factors associated with actual mode of delivery among women attending antenatal education at a university hospital in Türkiye: a retrospective observational study
- Association Between Sleep-Related Medication Use and Recurrent Falls Among Inpatients: A Five-Year Retrospective Observational Study at a University Hospital
- Healthcare providers perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementation of an acute traumatic brain injury clinical practice guideline: a CFIR-informed qualitative study at a regional referral hospital in Northern Tanzania
BibTeX
@article{hagipedersen2026safety,
title = {{Safety and implementation of a regional hospital-at-home model: a retrospective observational study from Denmark.}},
author = {Mai-Britt Hägi-Pedersen and Stig Nikolaj Blomberg and Ole Mazur Hendriksen and Ihab Ibrahim Rassoul Al-Janaby and Helle Collatz Christensen},
journal = {BMC health services research},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12913-026-15205-7},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902350},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Safety and implementation of a regional hospital-at-home model: a retrospective observational study from Denmark.
AU - Mai-Britt Hägi-Pedersen
AU - Stig Nikolaj Blomberg
AU - Ole Mazur Hendriksen
AU - Ihab Ibrahim Rassoul Al-Janaby
AU - Helle Collatz Christensen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC health services research
DO - 10.1186/s12913-026-15205-7
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902350
AB - Objectives To describe the patient population, care pathways, and short-term safety outcomes of a regional hospital-at-home model in Region Zealand, Denmark, between 2022 and 2024, and to explore variation in outcomes by diagnosis and referral source.Design Retrospective observational study using registry-based data and internal monitoring records.Setting A publicly funded, cross-sectoral hospital-at-home service coordinated centrally and delivered via municipal nurses and mobile treatment units.Participants We included 2,511 patients with a median age of 72 years (IQR 60-80). Patients generally presented with substantial comorbidity and represented a broad, clinically diverse population.Main outcome measures Length of stay, unplanned hospital contacts during treatment or within 24 h after planned completion, 30-day readmissions, and 30-day survival.Results The median length of stay increased from 5.1 days in 2022 to 7.3 days in 2024. Rates of unplanned hospital contacts remained stable (27.0-31.1%), whereas 30-day readmission rates declined from 11.0% to 7.0% over the study period. Thirty-day survival remained consistently high (91.6-92.4%). Infectious diseases were the most frequent diagnostic category (43-47%). Outcomes varied by diagnosis and referral source, with longer treatment durations observed among patients with orthopaedic and chronic conditions.Conclusions Hospital-level care delivered in patients' homes was implemented on a regional scale with acceptable short-term outcomes across a clinically complex and socially diverse patient population, including individuals living alone. The variation in outcomes across diagnostic groups underscores the importance of flexible, diagnosis-informed care pathways and structured cross-sectoral organisation in hospital-at-home models.Clinical trial number Not applicable.
SN - 1472-6963
ER -