Shorter hospital stays, lower costs, and above all, enabling patients to continue treatment in the comfort of their homes surrounded by family - the benefits of care-at-home health services are many. These advantages could help this $179-million industry (2022) expand at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.40% till 2030, according to data from the healthcare industry, which is seeing both small and large hospitals join the trend.
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Industry leaders say that such services are now no longer limited to major cities but are accessible in smaller cities and remote areas, facilitated by technologies such as ‘Tele-ICU’ (telemedicine intensive care unit) which connects smaller ICUs to central hubs, enabling better connectivity with remote areas.
“The trend of ‘extended care facility’ is growing in second-tier cities and remote regions. Care-at-home services revolve around two core principles - reducing hospital stays and establishing essential infrastructure at home to support medical care when individuals require assistance,” explains Sunil Karanth, chairman, HOD and consultant – Critical Care Medicine, Manipal Hospitals.
Currently, in India, the services include nursing support, doctor visits, home-based support systems, mobile ventilator, etc., which are tailored to the specific nature of the illness.
“It includes simple tasks like antibiotic administration or more complex situations requiring daily doctor visits or support systems like ventilators, dialysis machines, physiotherapy, and nursing care. The advantages of care-at-home services are varied,” says Dr. Karanth. In India, ICU stays can cost upwards of ₹35,000 a day while a care-at-home facility could limit the expense to around ₹8,500 a day.
What is also driving the trend is the fact that India has limited critical care beds. A cross-sectional study of 23 Asian ICUs indicated that there are cumulatively 3.6 ICU beds per 1,00,000 population, which is significantly lower than in western countries. India has an estimated 2.3 ICU beds per 1,00,000 population, said a study titled “Critical Care Delivery in India: Stats, State(s) and Strategies” published in early this year.
Care-at-home facilities could help in optimisation of hospital beds while giving patients psychological benefits during healing and recovery as they receive healthcare services at home.
Ravi Pratap, consultant-Accident and Emergency, Jupiter Hospital, Pune, states: “India is yet to attain a desirable population-hospital bed ratio. This puts a burden on healthcare systems to allocate the available hospital beds to the most deserving patient. Care-at-home services are now growing fast to bridge this gap.” He further says that certain follow-up home services after discharge from hospital are covered under insurance, but care-at-home services are yet to be covered.
The growing elderly population in India is also fuelling the growth of the market. Gaurav Thukral, co-founder, Health Care at Home (HCAH), noted that at-home services can range from a few hours to 24 hours a day, catering to a wide range of needs such as skilled nursing, physiotherapy, and even ICU care. Ishaan Khanna, CEO of Antara Assisted Care Services added that despite these positive trends, challenges persist, including the need for standardised regulations, caregiver training, and addressing affordability issues in order to fully realise the potential of care-at-home services in India.
