Eyes in the home: Acos use home visits to improve care management, identify needs, and reduce hospital use

Abstract

Home visits are used for a variety of services and patient populations. We used national survey data from physician practices and accountable care organizations (ACOs), paired with qualitative interviews, to learn about home visiting programs. ACO practices were more likely to report using care transitions home visits than non-ACO practices were. Eighty percent of ACOs reported using home visits for some of their patients, with larger ACOs more commonly using home visits. Interviewed ACOs reported using home visits as part of care management and care transitions programs as well as to evaluate patients’ home environments and identify needs. ACOs most often used nonphysician staff to conduct home visits. Home visit implementation for some types of patients can be challenging because of barriers related to reimbursement, staffing, and resources.