On Tuesday, May 12, the government examined the intermediate results of the “hospital at Home” pilot project and supported its continuation, recognising the potential of remotely arranged treatments to become part of a modern and integrated healthcare system. The data shows that the model helps to make more efficient use of hospital resources while providing patients who do not require hospital stays with home care while maintaining a high quality of treatment.
Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri stresses that the results of the pilot project demonstrate the effectiveness of international practice. The development of new integrated services in healthcare has great potential.
A modern patient-centred healthcare system, centred on service continuity, close cooperation between treatment institutions and an integrated approach to patient care, needs to be further developed in a targeted manner. As society ages and the demand for long-term care and treatment services grows, sustainable solutions should be developed that allow patients to receive quality care closer to home and also at home. Community-based and home-based health services are increasingly being developed in Europe, and it is important for Latvia to take over the most successful international experience. I appreciate the professional pilot project carried out by the team of Riga East clinical University hospital and the contribution made to the development of more modern and accessible healthcare for patients in Latvia,” says Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri.
The approval of the integrated healthcare model “hospital at Home” is implemented by Riga East Clinical University Hospital (Hospital), but the project is supervised by the Ministry of Health. The pilot project provides care to 300 patients with more than 116 different diagnoses between November 2025 and April 30, 2026. Around 70 per cent are made up of patients from RAKUS Emergency medicine and patient admissions Clinic, while the rest from hospital wards.
The “hospital at Home” model builds on an integrated healthcare approach, with patient-required healthcare continuing at home through digital technologies, remote health monitoring and continued availability of medical staff. This allows for continuity of treatment by reducing the need for long-term hospital stays.
Patients particularly assess the availability of treatment staff around the clock and the sense of safety after being discharged from hospital. The first results of the pilot project demonstrate that safe and high-quality treatment at home can become an important health service, especially in high hospital occupancy conditions,” emphasizes Svetlana Gomberg (pictured first from left), Head of Unit at the Eastern hospital's “hospital at Home” project. The specialist explains that patients are trained to use medical devices and a mobile app to monitor health metrics, while doctors and nurse counselling are provided around the clock - by phone, video calls or face-to-face if necessary.
Hospital
Hospital will continue to develop the “Slimey at Home” approach. Extending the pilot project to December this year will help an even wider range of patients and more fully assess the benefits of an integrated approach and its sustainability.
Pilot project “hospital at home” is being implemented within the framework of EU Recovery and Resilience Facility fund Project 4.1.1.r.0/1/22/I/VM/001 “Development of recommendations for the Development of Integrated healthcare”. After its conclusion, it will be assessed whether an integrated treatment model is cost effective and how patient treatment outcomes and patient experience improve. If the results are successful and a decision is made to implement the service as a permanent program, Hospital will be ready to share their experience and train other hospitals as well.
Within the framework of the reform of the European Union Recovery an Resilience Facility fund “sustainability and resilience of a human-centred, comprehensive, integrated healthcare system”, Latvia shall implement four measures: development of a human-centred and integrated health care model, adoption of a digital health care strategy, establishment of a genome reference for the population of Latvia, as well as strengthening of methodological management in oncology. The total public funding of the reform projects is 4.4 mln euro, of which the recovery fund funding 3.85 mln euro and the state budget funding 544 546 euro. Financing of the Recovery Fund EUR 1.02 million and financing of the State budget EUR 78,751 for the approval of the “hospital at Home” model.
The “hospital at Home” concept operates in several countries, including Scandinavia, the US and Canada. Such a treatment model particularly developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that it is possible to maintain a high quality of treatment also outside hospital premises. Digital solutions, telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies are increasingly being used in healthcare, which will allow further development of such services in the future.
