Home care: good for patients and good for the wallet

Keystone/Christian Beutler

Doctors and nurses from two Zurich hospitals are visiting patients at home - a new way of working that could serve as a treatment model for other parts of Switzerland.

If patients prefer, medical teams from Zollikerberg Hospital can treat them at home for conditions such as pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infections or heart failure. As in a traditional hospital setting, staff conduct daily rounds, and vital signs like blood pressure and pulse are monitored digitally.

This approach has been part of the hospital’s “Visit” pilot project for three years. According to Christian Ernst, the project manager at Zollikerberg Hospital, around 200 patients are treated this way annually. “The biggest advantage is that hospital-related problems, such as infection risks or confusion in older patients, are avoided,” he explains.

This model also saves money. Ernst estimates a 10% reduction per treatment since expenses like 24-hour care and hospital catering are eliminated.

Expansion to other hospitals

Hospital at Home, an organisation working with hospitals like Klinik Hirslanden to deliver home-based care, echoes these findings.

Its representative, Abraham Licht, says there has been strong demand: “We’ve held numerous discussions and have concrete plans with other hospitals in canton Zurich.”

Interest in the model extends beyond Zurich to other parts of Switzerland.

Clinics test new the model

In addition to the pilot projects in Zurich, the Arlesheim Clinic in canton Basel Country is also focussing on hospital care at home. Canton Basel Country is also giving financial support. In the Einsiedeln region in canton Schwyz, a similar company to Hospital at Home is operating under the name We4you.

The public sector is also on board. Canton Zurich is supporting both projects with six-figure investments. However, Jörg Gruber from the Zurich department of health remains cautious. “Home visits are quite labour-intensive. You need to find the right balance to maintain quality,” he says.

Gruber stresses that cost-effectiveness and patient safety must be guaranteed before there is broader implementation. Only under these conditions will the model be viable for other hospitals.

Study to assess feasibility

Initial signs suggest the pilot projects meet these cantonal requirements. Health economist Marc Höglinger from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) believes the model is promising: “Home treatment is not a standalone solution, but it’s a building block that can improve care and potentially reduce costs.”

A comprehensive study, which is still underway, will provide definitive insights into the safety and cost-effectiveness of home-based care. For now, the Zurich pilot projects will continue, with cantonal support secured through to 2026.

Translated from German by DeepL/amva/sb