Home care services in South Africa are showing greater adoption by medical aids and the entire medical fraternity as a valuable measure to cut costs and reduce pressure on busy doctors, hospitals, and the healthcare industry as a whole.
A growing number of healthcare professionals are seeing the transformative potential of this kind of technology-enabled healthcare innovation. The reason for this is that the Quro Hospital-at-Home service has shown its effectiveness in allowing doctors and nurses more time to see and care for more patients, resulting in more available beds in hospitals for emergencies and cases that require more intensive in-hospital care.
The service's aim is to reduce hospital re-admissions by providing the same level of hospital care to individuals in their own homes and involves patient monitoring based on vital statistics measurements. Patients' heart rate and blood pressure, among others, are constantly monitored via a wireless chest patch and the data is then transferred into a mobile app and relayed to the Quro Command Centre – enabling healthcare professionals to monitor and treat patients remotely, responding in real-time if any deterioration in a patient’s health is detected.
The chief benefit of the Quro Hospital-at-Home service is its potential to relieve the pressure on over-burdened in-hospital healthcare services. With chronic ailments and lifestyle diseases on the rise, constant real-time remote monitoring of at-risk individuals is showing a reduction in the need for frequent hospital visits as well as improved healthcare outcomes.
As with any new medical technology development, however, concerns have also been raised about the Hospital-at-Home service. Below, we look at the benefits and possible concerns.
The benefits of the Hospital-at-Home service:
Increased accessibility: Patients can have access to healthcare services that may not be available in their local area, which reduces the need for travel and improves patient treatment.
Cost-effectiveness: The Hospital-at-Home service reduces the need for hospitalisation, which is generally more expensive than remote monitoring options and relies on a limited number of available beds.
Improved patient outcomes: Healthcare professionals can monitor and respond to patients’ conditions more quickly based on accurate, real-time vital signs data, leading to better patient outcomes.
Reduced hospital stays: Patients can receive treatment and monitoring at home, reducing the need for long hospital stays. It has been proven that in familiar surroundings, together with loved ones and pets, and without restricted visiting hours, at-home care promotes faster recovery times.
How the Quro Medical Hospital-at-Home model addresses patient concerns:
Technology: Together with the wireless chest patch, Quro’s Hospital-at-Home setup includes an activated, loan mobile phone and power bank to ensure 24/7 patient monitoring. A partnership with MTN guarantees uninterrupted connectivity between patients and the Quro Command Centre. By facilitating all the technological requirements for the patient, Quro enables them to focus on their healing process.
Engagement: To avoid patients feeling disconnected from their healthcare providers, Quro’s Hospital-at-Home service includes in-person visits with nurses, doctors or clinical associates, and regular virtual check-ins. Visits by other healthcare practitioners like physiotherapists are also arranged when required in the treatment plan.
Privacy: Quro strictly adheres to the provisions of the POPI Act by diligently obtaining patient consent before sharing information, ensuring patients’ medical data is safeguarded. The sophisticated in-house software employs advanced encryption measures to maintain the highest safety and security standards, offering peace of mind to all patients.
The Hospital-at-Home service has clear and promising applications in the South African market, which is well-prepared for innovative healthcare solutions. As a result, the majority of local medical aid providers have embraced and included the Quro Hospital-at-Home service in their coverage for their members. Furthermore, statistical data indicates that this adoption trend is on a steady upward trajectory and is likely to expand throughout the entire African continent.