Back to the Future: COVID-19 is Bringing Care Back Home

COVID-19 is exposing the fragility and fragmentation of our healthcare system and the instability of institution-based care as hospitals surge to capacity and nursing homes are ravaged. At the same time, an unintended consequence of social distancing is further isolation of vulnerable populations, exacerbating non-clinical impediments to healing, and lack of social support. To not only survive the pandemic but to build a health care system of the future, we must embrace the home as a primary destination for care, for everything from pediatrics to palliative care.

During the pandemic, decades of bureaucratic barriers were lifted literally overnight, suddenly opening healthcare to technology. Telehealth’s explosion has led many to question the prohibition of virtual visits prior to COVID-19. At the same time, the home is now the most important destination for care. Technology adoption, permanent payment reform, and patient-centric care are the keys to unlock the value of health-at-home.