“Care Hotel” Model Studied to Reduce Costs, Shorten Hospital Stays for Nonemergency Procedures

August 8, 2023—A “care hotel” model, which discharges patients to a specialty hospital hotel after smaller surgeries, was shown in a study to lower costs and shorten patients’ time in the hospital.

In response to rising health care costs across the United States, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, investigators at the Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, evaluated this approach.

Their findings, “The Safety and Feasibility of a Care Hotel Model in Elective Neuroendovascular Interventions—A Single Institutional Experience,” were presented at SNIS 2023, the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s 20th annual meeting held July 31 to August 4 in San Diego, California.

According to the SNIS press release, the investigators reviewed data for 78 patients who were slated to have elective neuroendovascular interventions, including treatment for aneurysms. The study enrolled 42 patients who received same-day surgery and were discharged to a care hotel instead of being admitted to the hospital after their procedures.

At the care hotel, patients were monitored by nurses and had immediate access to the on-campus hospital if needed.

Except for one patient with lingering numbness who was hospitalized for 2 days, all patients were discharged home the following day.

Based on cost-saving calculations, this approach resulted in saving $1,500 to $2,600 per procedure. One hospital bed was also saved for other potential patients who required hospitalization.

The study investigators found that this fast-track model was safe, feasible, and cost-effective for qualified patients, reported the SNIS press release.

“Using a care hotel can help carefully selected patients reduce their time in the hospital after nonemergency procedures while maintaining high-quality care and outcomes,” commented Rabih Tawk, MD, a neurointerventional surgeon at the Mayo Clinic Florida, in the SNIS press release. “It’s a promising model, as they can save time and money while recovering in a more comfortable place, and the hospitals can keep more beds available for emergency cases.”