The Dutch healthcare system faces the challenge of maintaining high-quality, accessible, and affordable care while demand rises due to an aging population and staff shortages. Research shows that 45% of hospital care could be shifted to home settings (1).
Erasmus MC is implementing a Virtual Ward, a digital care unit where patients recover at home with care, therapy, diagnostics and monitoring. Part of the hospital admission and treatment is relocated to the home environment. By reducing length of stay in the hospital, capacity is freed up. Which can be used to meet the increasing demand for care.
The 鈥淰IP Care 鈥� Virtual Ward for Early Discharge in Patients Receiving Inpatient Care鈥� (2) study examines the feasibility of the Virtual Ward across six care paths. A retrospective study suggests an average reduction of three hospital days per patient, potentially freeing up 40% of hospital capacity.
To implement a Virtual Ward, logistical and administrative processes must be designed to organize hospital level care at home. The aim is to ensure a safe transition for patients to receive treatment at home in the Virtual Ward. This design report describes the setup of clinical telemonitoring and the organization of conditions for hospital at home care.
The design was developed using Design Thinking and design interventions were evaluated through CIMO-logic. Eighteen design requirements were established. Categorized into boundary conditions, design restrictions and outcomes. The design encompasses all the layers of the Nictiz Model for Interoperability and is modeled in accordance with enterprise architecture principles. The design complies with sixteen of the design requirements, the other two requirements will have to be evaluated after implementation of the Virtual Ward.
Care in the Virtual Ward will soon commence. Throughout the 鈥淰IP Care鈥�-study data will be collected to validate the design. The feasibility study will determine whether the Virtual Ward is a viable solution for optimizing hospital capacity and how this new form of care effects patient experience and care team well-being.