Hospital-At-Home Service: Heal At Home And Free Up The Hospitals

Fedhealth’s brand new Hospital-at-Home service ensures that Covid and non-Covid patients get world-class hospital care, in the comfort of their homes.

In partnership with Quro Medical, Fedhealth Medical Aid is pleased to offer an innovative, first-to-market solution that gives its members a safe alternative to hospital. This is especially relevant now, as South Africa battles the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, putting medical professionals and resources under severe strain. Lightening the burden on our hospitals, Hospital-at-Home will offer a patient a team of trained healthcare professionals who will bring all the essential elements of in-patient care to a patient’s home, including real-time monitoring.

Although hospitals have their advantages, they’re not always the best environment for all patients. In fact, research shows that patients recover better and faster in their own homes – resulting in improved health outcomes and less demand on critical hospital resources. Some patients are more vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections and developing new health complications, and they therefore may benefit from receiving care at home.

More about the new Hospital-at-Home service:

• Using various digital devices which collect vital sign data, your assigned doctor can monitor your condition day and night, wirelessly and automatically.
• This data is closely monitored by a team of healthcare professionals in their 24-hour medical command centre, helping form a personalised treatment plan tailored to your changing health needs – in real time.
• The Quro Medical clinical team also arranges regular home visits (daily or more frequently), and other communication channels are provided to give you constant support outside of these home visits.  
• Intravenous therapy, skilled nursing and access to laboratory services, healthcare services like physiotherapy, and short-term oxygen are also provided.
• If your condition worsens, rapid response protocols will be applied, which may include an increase in visits, early review by the treating doctor and, rarely, transfer to hospital.

Who qualifies for this service?

Anyone who’d ordinarily require admission in a hospital general ward qualifies for this service, but it will only be offered upon your consent as the patient. You can either be referred to Quro Medical by your treating doctor, request this service from your doctor if they’re suggesting general ward admission, or you can choose to be relocated to your home during a hospital admission. You’ll only be discharged from this service by your designated doctor once your treatment programme is completed.

This service is currently only available in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, with rollout in the rest of the country planned. Hospital-from-Home is funded from your hospital benefit, in line with hospital benefit management protocols.

Get better at home surrounded by loved ones and a familiar environment, and free up space in hospital for those who really need it.