[brian]

The number of house calls made by doctors and nurses in the United States increased from 1.5 million in 2000 to more than 2 million in 2004, according to the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, citing Medicare data.

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081601683.html

[ptadvocate81]

Originally Posted by brian

The number of house calls made by doctors and nurses in the United States increased from 1.5 million in 2000 to more than 2 million in 2004, according to the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, citing Medicare data.

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081601683.html

Great post! I like the idea of a doctor coming to me, whether than me waiting in a busy, germ infested office. If I must wait on them, why not do it in the comfort and privacy of my own home?!

[CaretakerNurse]

My disabled Mother has a doctor that comes to the house to see her, apparently Medicare will partially cover those visits if disabled, they do however cost more (even with Medicare) then going to his office. As far as I know, he is the only one in this area that does that. He has a laptop, portable EKG, pulse ox, and can do some lab work.

[CardioTrans]

This is great! I do home care and would love the doctors here actually see what we see in the home. Everyone gets dressed up to go to the MD office, but in the home you see the real problems they face.

I worked with a doctor once in the OR whose wife was a home care nurse. He was what my 16 yr old would have called "old school" doctor. But if his wife was going out to see one of his patients, he would take his little black bag and go with her to see his patients. The patients loved it.

The night he came into our ER in full arrest at the age of 72 (and had seen patients in his office that day) tore our hospital apart. He was truly one of a kind.

[Jessy_RN]

I think that this is such a great thing. Loved the post

[Faeriewand]

What a wonderful man. This is a great idea. Nurses have been making plenty of house calls when a patient is discharged from the hospital yet still needs wound care etc. It's time that docs got back to home care and it seems like a nice stress-free job too.

[button2cute]

Originally Posted by Faeriewand

What a wonderful man. This is a great idea. Nurses have been making plenty of house calls when a patient is discharged from the hospital yet still needs wound care etc. It's time that docs got back to home care and it seems like a nice stress-free job too.

Hello,

I would love to see patients in their home rather in the office. It would give me so many advantages to understand my patient as a whole and not as a part. Home life can tell you a lot about a person and how they are managing their life on a day to day basis.

Great article.

Buttons

[Fonenurse]

Originally Posted by button2cute

Hello, I would love to see patients in their home rather in the office. It would give me so many advantages to understand my patient as a whole and not as a part. Home life can tell you a lot about a person and how they are managing their life on a day to day basis. Great article. Buttons

Here in the UK GPs (doctors) used to offer home visits on a regular basis, but they are now encouraging patents to go see them in their offices instead - they can see more patients this way, and sadly in this day and age, there is personal security to be considered too. It was great when doctors saw patients in their own homes because they got the full picture - saw how personal conditions were affecting the patients health etc.

[JentheRN05]

My mother is an RN who works for a visiting Dr.s firm. She loves it, and it's more than welcome!

[Katnip]

I know of one doc in our area who makes house calls. He charges $125 for the house call. That is just for making the visit, not the exam, diagnosis or treatment. He's worse than a plumber.

When I was a kid, I remember doctors always making house calls. Makes sense when you're sick, doesn't it? Who wants to get up, get showered and dressed when you're under the weather.