Hospital-managed advanced care of children in their homes

A hospital-managed project for the advanced care of children in their homes (SABH) has been established in Sweden. The aim was to provide an alternati ve to inpatient paediatric care by providing hospital-at-home care to stabl e infants and children using mobile units based, on advanced information an d communication technology. The Karolinska Hospital children's ward and eme rgency room referred children to SABH care. A medical care plan was drawn u p by the physicians and nurses responsible for the patient while in hospita l, in conjunction with the parents and the patient. In one year, 350 episod es of care requiring 3000 bed-days were managed by SABH in the children's h omes rather than at hospital. Forty-two per cent of the patients were aged less than one year, 41% were between one and six years old, and 17% were ol der than six years. SABH care was at least 30% cheaper than, conventional h ospital care and patient satisfaction with the service was high. At the con clusion of the two-year project, the SABH became a permanent unit at the Ka rolinska Hospital.