Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham has added oncology care to its Home Hospital program.
Mass General Birgham’s Home Hospital program aims to “alleviate the capacity crisis” within acute care facilities, while also allowing patients to benefit from remaining near their support systems, according to an April 14 news release from the health system.
“In oncology, there is growing awareness about the idea of time toxicity, which is an acknowledgement of the time that patients spend traveling to healthcare facilities for their treatment,” Thomas Roberts, MD, an oncologist and clinical director of oncology services for Mass General Brigham Healthcare at Home, said in the release. “Shifting care to the home also helps us protect these vulnerable patients from hospital-acquired infections and ease capacity constraints on our brick-and-mortar hospitals.”
Through the Home Hospital program, eligible cancer patients can have oral medications and enteral nutrition administered at home, while also being treated for infections, treatment complications, heart failure and additional conditions unrelated to their cancer diagnosis. The program plans to add transfusion and intravenous antineoplastic treatments in the future.
Chemotherapy will continue to be administered within the clinical setting, the release said.
