SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-A Pilot Us Pediatric Hospital at Home: Who Are Our Patients?

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Atrium Health–Levine Children’s Hospital launched a Pediatric Hospital at Home (HaH) program in February 2025 to expand capacity at an urban tertiary pediatric center. The program was adapted from an adult HaH model and was designed to care for children who could safely receive hospital-level treatment at home.<br /><br />Seven months after launch, 2,852 children had been screened. Of these, 149 (5%) met eligibility criteria, and 118 of the eligible patients (79%) enrolled. Patients were selected through both medical and environmental screening, and all participants were consented under local IRB approval. The program included a broad range of ages and diagnoses.<br /><br />The most common reasons for admission included dehydration, feeding difficulties, and infection treatment such as urinary tract infection or appendicitis.<br /><br />Reported outcomes were favorable. The average length of stay was 6.9 days. The 30-day readmission rate was 6%, and 6% of patients required transfer back to the brick-and-mortar hospital. The authors note that these outcomes were comparable to typical inpatient care in the main hospital.<br /><br />Overall, the early experience suggests that a pediatric Hospital at Home model can safely serve children across age groups and clinical conditions, and that most families offered the option are willing to participate. The authors conclude that this model appears feasible and acceptable, though further study is needed to understand why some families decline participation and to compare outcomes more rigorously against standard inpatient care matched by diagnosis and illness severity.

Asset Subtitle

Tonya K. Obita

Meta Tag

Author List Christine B. Turley, David Marseille, Douglas A. Dodds, Dustin M. Loing, Gang Liu, Sara Horstmann, Stefanie Reed, Tonya K. Obita

Category Innovations

Concept Home-Based Acute Care

Concept Pediatric Patient

Concept Eligibility Criteria

Concept Enrollment Rate

Concept Diagnosis

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Wake Forest School of Medicine, Charlotte Campus

Presenting Author Tonya K. Obita

Track Technology in Hospital Medicine

Keywords

Pediatric Hospital at Home

Atrium Health

Levine Children’s Hospital

home-based pediatric care

hospital-level treatment

capacity expansion

dehydration

feeding difficulties

infection treatment

readmission rate

Home-Based Acute Care

Pediatric Patient

Eligibility Criteria

Enrollment Rate

Diagnosis