A new program that combines home-based visits with virtual care is helping HealthPartners improve access to care and prevent potentially costly hospital trips. The program, known inside the organization as Home Based Medicine Rapid Response, treats patients with same- or next-day service inside their homes through combined in-person and virtual care.

The program launched after a successful pilot with home care patients. Of the 235 rapid responses since March, 89% of patients were able to be treated at home instead of emergency department visit or hospital admission.

“We’re focused on providing the highest-quality care to our patients in a way that’s timely and convenient for them,” HealthPartners Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Sannes said. “We’re not only improving the experience for patients, we’re also preventing unnecessary hospital visits and reducing the cost of care overall.”

Patients are connected to the program in two ways:

• Patients already at home: Team members assess patients at home for new or worsening symptoms. They send a secure message through Epic to the home-based medicine team. A team clinician responds within five minutes by phone or video and, if necessary, can visit the patient at home the same day.
• Patients leaving the hospital: Working with emergency departments and case managers, the team assesses patients ready to go home who need in-home follow-up care. A Home Based Medicine Rapid Response team member can meet them at home the same or next day to ensure continuity of care and help prevent a readmission.

Home Based Medicine Rapid Response works with patients Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is part of the National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network, an organization that connects home-based programs and clinicians for learning and improvement.