(Hospital at home: from red to amber)

(Randomised controlled trial comparing hospital at home care with inpatient hospital care. I: three month follow up of health outcomes)

(Randomised controlled trial comparing hospital at home care with inpatient hospital care. II: cost minimisation analysis)

(Randomised controlled trial comparing effectiveness and acceptability of an early discharge, hospital at home scheme with acute hospital care)

(Hospital at home or acute hospital care? A cost minimisation analysis)

Hospital at home schemes providing care, which has traditionally been given in hospital, have grown in importance but few studies have been undertaken to evaluate their effectiveness and financial implications. Four papers (two conducted by the Division of Public Health and Primary Healthcare, University of Oxford and two by the Department of Social Medicine, University Bristol) and an editorial in this week's BMJ tackle the issue of treating acute patients at home or in hospital. The overall conclusion is that both methods of treatment appear to be effective and acceptable to patients, but economic evaluations are inconclusive. This "will reassure advocates of hospital at home schemes without satisfying sceptics", says Steve Iliffe in his editorial summarising the papers.

Contact:

Steve Iliffe, Reader in General Practice, University College and Royal Free Hospital Schools of Medicine, London [email protected]

Sasha Shepperd, Research Officer, Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Oxford, Institute of Health Sciences, Headington, Oxford [email protected]

Suzanne Richards, Research Associate, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol [email protected]

Joanna Coast, Lecturer in Health Economics, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol [email protected]