Hospital at Home: Treating more patients and providing more advanced care

Linda Brönnheim receives intravenous antibiotic treatment at home from specialist nurse Isa Segerhag.

In 2025, 1,576 patients received highly specialised acute hospital-level care at home instead of being admitted to Skåne University Hospital. At the same time, increasingly advanced treatments are now possible outside the hospital setting. One example is intravenous antibiotic therapy, used to treat severe infections that require a continuous 24-hour supply of antibiotics.

One of the patients who has received intravenous antibiotic treatment at home is Linda Brönnheim. She carried the antibiotic pump with her at all times in a small bag, allowing her to move around freely at home. The pump contains a balloon reservoir that delivers the antibiotic into the bloodstream at a constant rate. The treatment is delivered using portable infusion pumps.

‘When the doctors in the emergency department asked whether I wanted to receive treatment at home for ten days instead of being admitted to hospital, I didn’t hesitate. It feels good to be at home, and it is reassuring to have daily visits from healthcare professionals,’ she says.

The treatment is possible once venous access has been established— a device that provides reliable access to the bloodstream for intravenous therapies.

Study examined risks

Last year, a study was conducted to better understand patients’ experiences and assess potential risks. The study included 63 patients who were treated using an infusion pump for up to 17 days.

‘The results are clear and show that our patients felt safe and positive about receiving treatment in their own home environment. Those of us who visit the patients are also particularly vigilant in monitoring for potential complications,’ says Isa Segerhag, specialist nurse at Hospital at Home and principal investigator of the study.

Lower cost of care

Hospital at Home at Skåne University Hospital maintains the same quality as inpatient hospital care, but costs approximately half as much. This allows more patients to receive the care they need while enabling more efficient use of healthcare resources. In 2025, a total of 1,576 patients at Skåne University Hospital received acute hospital-level care at home.

‘We see that patients generally do better when cared for at home. What matters most to us is that our patients are well informed, that they are part of the team by being actively involved in their care, and that they know we are only a phone call away,’ says Isa Segerhag.

In short: Hospital at Home

Is an option for patients who wish to receive care at home, are clinically assessed as suitable for home treatment, and whose medical condition allows it.

The service was launched in 2021 and has been available at Skåne University Hospital in both Malmö and Lund since 2023. From its launch through March 2026, Skåne University Hospital has provided hospital-level care at home to 3,800 patients.

On average, patients receive care at home for approximately six days. Patients receive regular visits from doctors and nurses for 17 hours a day. If a patient’s condition deteriorates during the overnight seven-hour period, they can contact a doctor by phone and, if necessary, be admitted directly to hospital.

When the service started in 2021, seven patients could be treated at home simultaneously. Today, the service can manage around 50 patients at the same time. Work is currently under way to enable even more patients to be treated in this way.