Pop quiz: assuming that you could get the same level of care, would you rather be in a bed in a hospital or in your own bed at home? Most people would prefer to be at home in familiar surroundings, and now technology is making that a viable option.
Contessa provides home recovery care and recently announced a partnership with CommonSpirit Health to provide hospital-level home care as an option. CommonSpirit is based in Chicago but operates 142 hospitals and 700 care sites in 21 different states. The Contessa service is made possible through the use of remote monitoring of vital signs and other biometrics along with a dedicated table that provides access to health professionals via a video telehealth platform.
The Contessa program supports patients with more than 150 diagnoses requiring acute care, post-acute care, or post-surgery care. It has been proven to work better than hospitalization for patient recovery. According to the company, the length of the average hospital stay has been reduced by 35% while reducing readmissions by 44%. And patient satisfaction increased by 22%, indicating an improved quality of life for the patient.
The partnership with CommonSpirit is launching in a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to start with, but the goal is to expand it out across the system. Giving patients the option to recover at home can lead to better outcomes at lower costs, making it a win for all involved.
