Quebec is expanding its virtual home care program to more hospitals across the province.
The program allows people who have been hospitalized to go home sooner while still receiving care.
Experts say it’s a step in the right direction, but warn that it’s not a one-stop solution.
The program was pioneered by the Jewish General Hospital at the height of the pandemic.
Its director, Erin Cook, says that since the implementation in 2022, it has allowed the hospital to monitor almost 1,000 patients recovering at home from hip and knee surgeries or robotic hysterectomies, for example, with great success.
“One hundred per cent of our patients tell us that they prefer hospital at home than in-person care. They rate their overall satisfaction at 93 per cent,” Cooke said.
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Now the same model is available in five new hospitals across the province:
- Pierre-Boucher hospital
- Anna-Laberge hospital
- Hôtel-dieu de Lévis
- McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
- University …