Award for $4.6M to Study Rehab Care at Home

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) recently awarded $4.6 million to Mass General Brigham to do a study to evaluate the delivery of short term rehab care at home through a randomized controlled trial. Mass General will test the effect of delivering short term rehab care at home versus using a traditional post-acute care setting.

Nationally, about 40% of older adults discharged from acute care hospitals require some sort of post hospital care, with about half of those adults receiving care in an inpatient skilled nursing facility. The cost of skilled nursing facilities is increasing plus the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated staff shortages and capacity challenges at post-acute facilities.

Another factor is that delays in discharging patients from acute care hospitals to post acute care settings has posed a challenge that has contributed to capacity issues nationwide, preventing patients from accessing the rehab care needed, and preventing open beds to be available for new patients in need of acute hospital care.

According to a report released by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, 1,974 patients are awaiting to be discharged from hospitals across the state, which shows that patients can wait for weeks or months before finding a bed and be able to access the care needed.

As part of the Mass General study to evaluate the delivery of short term rehab care at home, 300 patients will be enrolled from five acute care hospitals in the Boston area. Of the 300 patients, 150 patients will be randomized to receive short term rehab care at home, while the other 150 patients will receive care in a traditional skilled nursing facility.

Patients admitted to rehab care at home will see a nurse, certified nurse assistant, physician, and a home health aide upon admission. Subsequent care will include daily remote physician and in-home certified nurse assistant visits. Physical, occupational, and speech therapies will be provided to meet the patients' needs. Patients will also benefit from 24 hour, in home response from mobile integrated health paramedics, and as needed, home health aide care.