Imagine healthcare that continues from hospital to home – with one call to make, and one person to watch over you.
The care team that you meet in hospital is the one who manages your recovery at home. Imagine having access to your care team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as they answer your questions through an iPad or by phone.
This unique healthcare program is happening today. It began in Hamilton and is now being adopted in hospitals throughout Ontario.
It’s called Integrated Comprehensive Care.
Integrated Comprehensive Care fosters a smooth transition for patients from hospital to home. Designed by the St. Joseph’s Health System, the program provides patients with continuous care – allowing them to go home sooner while also improving patient outcomes.
The program has been tested with patients undergoing major surgical procedures as well as patients with chronic diseases.
Preliminary research proves that this new program is working by:
• Reducing patients’ average length of stay in hospital by up to 3 days
• Reducing readmission rates to hospital by up to 11.3%
• Reducing costs by up to $5,080 per patient
Most importantly, patients tell us that the program makes them feel less anxious about being discharged from the hospital, and well cared for while at home.
After a successful pilot at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, the Province
of Ontario decided to expand the program to other hospitals in 2015. The St. Joseph’s Health System is a mentor and coach to these institutions as they launch their own bundled care programs inspired by Integrated Comprehensive Care.
For more information about research at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, visit research.stjoes.ca
