At present, the world is witnessing a sea of advancements with the inclusion of homebased health care being an integral catalyst. This can be backed up by the fact that, there is tremendous pressure on hospitals in delivering services at their facility, especially in critical care that can now be delivered in the home environment.

Use of technology by some companies is set to change the landscape in terms of cost, experience and impact on the outcome of the treatment. The Indian healthcare market is growing fast, alongside the surmounting cost of medical services at hospitals. The rapidly increasing burden of chronic diseases and the demand for quality and efficient medical care has opened the market up for home based services.

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This industry has promising prospects as almost 80 per cent of the care that is currently provided in the hospital can be delivered in the home setting, with proper guidance and implementation. This branch of services comes with a wide range of benefits.

Enabling the power of home health care helps reduce unavoidable readmissions to the hospital that can have physical psychological and financial implications. Visiting a hospital may be initially beneficial but comes with its own set of long lasting repercussions in terms of convalescence. Innumerable studies have shown that patients recuperating from illness, injury, or surgical procedures heal more quickly and more successfully when recovering under supervision at home versus in a medical facility.

Also, there is the contention of chronic illness that needs regular referral to the doctors for a steady recuperation. Chronic patients require constant monitoring and care, something that cannot be facilitated by intermittent hospital visits.

Hence, the need for constant care is fulfilled by these home healthcare units. Here are some more vital advantages of home health care:

Convenience:

This is a factor that every family member of the ailing looks for, yet hospitals often come with their own set of inconveniences pertaining to visits and monitoring. On the other hand, competent medical staff with an array of equipments is provided at the comfort of home, obviating the hassle associated with hospital visits for the patient and the family around.

Infection control: Owing to a large number of patients, it is well known that hospital acquired infections can be fatal in vulnerable cases as hospitals harbour an environment filled with ailments, some more contagious than others. A sanitised environment in the home eliminates one source of complication to such an extent that clinical results are comparable or better with fewer complications when home care is provided to individuals with chronic conditions.

Cost:

The cost associated with private healthcare in India is forbiddingly high for the middle class. For example, a typical cost of stay in an ICU in a hospital could range between Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 a day. In such a scenario, home healthcare is a cost effective alternative. Putting up an ICU facility at home, complete with equipment and medical expertise, would range between Rs 8,500 to Rs 10,000 a day, cutting the cost greatly.

Focussed attention:

Often, when it comes to hospitals, there is a lack in focused attention as a plethora of ailing patients with sensitive requirements, needs catering to on simultaneous basis. For home healthcare, with dedicated staff at home, the patient gets much better attention as compared to a hospital where each staff is assigned several patients. Homecare is an initiative to reach beyond hospitals, to patients and their families, to not just add years to the lives but also add life to the years that are ahead. The writer is chief executive officer and founder, Critical Care Unified