Discovering Italy's Hospital at Home System: A Focus on Turin

From December 4 to December 8, 2023, Dialog Health accompanied a new multidisciplinary team from the HAD du Littoral organisation, on a journey to explore Turin's hospital at home system.

The 12 delegates, coming from the Northern part of France, started their series of visits with a roundtable discussion, where they had the privilege of discovering the A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino - City of Health and Science of Turin. During this meeting, they attended presentations from the quality and safety department, the Geriatrics and Home Hospitalisation Continuous Care Unit, the crucial role of the emergency department in hospital at home, hospitalisation services and internal medicine. The visit to the pharmacy also provided the opportunity to connect with the institution's teams.

The second day was eagerly awaited, as the delegates had the privilege of accompanying professionals from hospital at home in Turin, in small groups of two, to the bedside of their patients. This immersive morning will be etched in the memory of the French caregivers who were able to meet patients and concretely experience the typical days of their Italian counterparts.

Subsequently, the group met the medical imaging service, equipped with portable ultrasound machines and radiography devices used at patients' homes. A radiology technician travels to patients' homes to perform radiographs, eliminating the need to transfer certain patients to the hospital.

Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to a meeting with the palliative care service of ASL Città di Torino. Unlike hospital at home, palliative care at home in Piedmont is supported by a specialised home care service. Palliative care needs amount to 500 patients per 100,000 inhabitants, with 40% of these cases involving oncological patients. In Turin, the demand is for 4200 patients per year.

On the last day, the delegation went to Bra to discover TESI T4MED Srl, a subsidiary of TESISQUARE SpA specialising in telemedicine and housed in a digital innovation center. This company produces certified medical devices and interfaces with other types of equipment such as tablets or smartphones, intended especially for home use, particularly by Integrated Home Assistance.

Back in Turin, the delegation exchanged ideas with the home care and disability service of the municipality of Turin, aiming to minimise unnecessary hospitalisations, facilitate continuity of care, and improve the quality of life of individuals.

This study trip proved to be profoundly enriching for the 12 members of the HAD du Littoral institution's staff. Each visit to Turin offered valuable insights, highlighting the strengths of hospital at home. These few days in Turin allowed the delegates to better understand the daily lives of their Turin counterparts, reconsider the modalities of patient care at home, explore new approaches, and identify convergences between the two systems.