Objectives: To assess home healthcare services’ effectiveness in reducing Emergency Department visits (ED) and subsequent hospital readmission rates.
Methods: A file-based hospital-based retrospective cohort study with an analytical component was conducted to compare palliative patients under home care services (Study Group) with a matched group of palliative patients who were not under home care services (Control Group). Demographic data, ED visits, and hospital readmission rates were calculated. Results: Both groups were diagnosis-, age-, and sex-matched. There was a highly significant difference regarding ED visits, as those in the Home Care (Study) group had significantly fewer ED visits and substantially fewer hospital admissions than patients in the non-home care (Control) group. Conclusions: Home Care services can effectively reduce ED visits and hospital admissions for end-stage palliative care patients

Ali Mohammad Alqahtani is a consultant in family medicine and the director of the home health care department. He holds both the Saudi Board and Arab Board certifications in family medicine, as well as a JCI diploma in Hospital Management and Quality. With over 20 years of experience as a trainer in family medicine, he has dedicated his career to clinical education and mentoring. He is also an active member of the central committee for the development of home health care at the Ministry of Defense Hospitals in Saudi Arabia and serves as a national surveyor for CBAHI accreditation in primary health care. He has published numerous research papers on home health care and geriatrics and is a regular speaker at international and national conferences, focusing on home care and chronic disease management.