13,400 Hospital Bed Days saved through Vhi HomeCare treatment in 2014
52,000 hospital bed days and €24 million in cost savings since service launched in 2010
25th August, 2015 – Vhi HomeCare treated almost 1000 patients in 2014, making it the busiest year since the service launched in 2010. Since 2010 over 4,200 Vhi patients have been treated in the comfort of their home rather than in hospital which has saved approximately 52,000 hospital bed days and resulted in cost savings of over €24 million.
Vhi HomeCare is an innovative clinical service available exclusively to Vhi customers. It is a consultant-led "hospital in the home" service allowing suitable patients to leave hospital earlier and continue certain treatments in their own home under the care of our nurses and doctors. Research conducted by Vhi HomeCare found that 99% of patients would recommend the service and 85% would prefer to use Vhi HomeCare rather than being treated in hospital.
Vhi Homecare provides customers with the necessary medical and nursing care every day for a range of conditions including: administration of Intravenous (IV) Antibiotics, Negative Pressure Dressings (NPD), Anti-Coagulation treatment and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). The most common treatments currently provided by the Vhi HomeCare team are intravenous treatment of Cellulitis, intravenous administration of anti-coagulation drugs and post-operative care for selective procedures. This type of home treatment of various medical conditions has been safely and successfully provided in countries such as the USA and Australia for many years and more recently here in Ireland.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Dr Bernadette Carr, Medical Director. Vhi stated that “A key element of Vhi’s cost containment programme has been to identify ways of doing things smarter and better, not just cutting costs. One of the best examples of this approach is the Vhi HomeCare service. Vhi HomeCare represents a new approach to the delivery of healthcare. It offers immense benefits for the patients who can avail of it but also offers huge benefits to the healthcare system in Ireland – freeing up beds for those who need them most and delivering financial savings without compromising the healthcare delivered.”
She concluded by stating “At present Vhi HomeCare is available in Dublin, Kildare, Meath and specific areas in Wicklow, Louth and Wexford - as far south as Gorey and as far north as Dundalk. However we are continuously evaluating the service to look at the possibility of providing support to customers in other regions or with a view to providing new services.”
The Vhi Homecare service has been accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) .
Patients need to be referred to the service by their hospital consultant or GP. Customers can also call (01) 4039474 for more information or to find out if they are suitable for the Vhi HomeCare Service.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The medical conditions suitable for treatment by the Vhi HomeCare team include:
* Patients requiring negative pressure therapy
* Osteomyelitis
* Endocarditis
* Cellulitis
* Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
* LRTI
* Pneumonia
* Urinary Tract Infections
* Urinary Tract Infections during Maternity
* Septic Arthritis
* Bronchiectasis
* Treatment of other infections on IV’s
* Iron Infusions
* Sepsis
* Anticoagulation
* Cystic Fibrosis
* Patients requiring TPN
Vhi_Press
25-Aug-2015