title: [The usefulness of hospital at home in nephrology].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Hospital at Home Unit (HHU) is a medical care model effective in different fields of medical and surgical conditions. The objective of the study was to analyse the utility of moving acute nephrologic patients to a HHCU.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review the Nephrology Service requests to move patients to the HHU the last 3 years. The results were compared with those obtained from the rest of patients admitted at the HHU during the same period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The requests number was 85 and 79 (93%) patients were included for the study. Patients had high comorbidity (Charlson index mean, 3.75) and acute medical problems. The length of stay at the HHU was 12.65 days. The total intervention rate was 1.23 interventions/day. In 71 cases (89.9%) the hospital discharge was at the patient's home. In 8 cases the readmission at the hospital was required to solve the medical process. Hospital readmissions after the HHCU discharge before 30 days was 6.3%. No statistical differences were found between nephrology patients and the rest of HHU patients when comparing the intervention rates, the percentage of home discharges and the hospital readmissions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The moving of nephrologic acute patients to a HHU is a save choice and well accepted by patients and their families.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. jara.germanstrias@gencat.net
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riera
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonet
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuxart
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009398:Nephrology; D010359:Patient Readmission; D013030:Spain