ASHP Commission on Goals Focuses on Hospital-at-Home and Healthcare Transformation

Members of ASHP’s Commission on Goals convened virtually and at ASHP headquarters March 15 to review strategies for optimizing medication outcomes through the implementation of hospital-at-home models of care.

The interdisciplinary commission* meets annually to discuss healthcare trends that are expected to influence pharmacy practice and patient care. Recommendations from commission members, who are leaders in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, academia, industry, and government, provide critical guidance for ASHP’s Board of Directors and help shape ASHP’s strategic direction.

This year, the group reviewed implications and potential sustainability of regulatory and legislative actions during the COVID-19 pandemic that supported the expansion of acute-level care in patients’ homes. The group discussed challenges and opportunities for hospital-at-home care models, including lessons learned from participants whose organizations offer this care.

The main topics for discussion were:

• Patient-centered care and creating value for healthcare sustainability
• Medication safety, utilization, and management
• Interprofessional workforce transformation

Session speakers and participants identified and discussed barriers to hospital-at-home services and inequities in the availability of acute care at home. The group found that although pharmacists have been successfully integrated into some hospital-at-home models, there’s little consistency in how the profession’s medication-management services are provided to these patients.

Commission members expressed concern about the lack of best practices for medication access, storage, and administration in hospital-at-home settings. The group urged ASHP to lead collaborative discussions with other stakeholders and provide guidance on adopting consistent medication-related practices for these care models.

Meeting participants also reviewed opportunities for transforming care, including hospital-at-home services that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion topics included the importance of effective interprofessional communication in team-based care, the needs of rural populations, the need to leverage technology and innovation to support alternative sites of care, and the need for healthcare provider education and training to keep pace with evolving interprofessional care models.

Proceedings of the commission meeting will be published online ahead of print in a forthcoming issue of AJHP.

*Commission Roster