Mass General Brigham Launches Home Hospital Trials for Dementia, Behavioral Health

The trials, led by David Levine, MD, MPH, MA, Clinical Director of Research & Development at Mass General Brigham Healthcare at Home, aim to generate evidence on Home Hospital care for patient groups that can face challenges in traditional hospital settings.

Mass General Brigham has launched two clinical trials to assess whether hospital-level care can be safely delivered at home for patients living with moderate to severe dementia and those experiencing primary behavioral health conditions.

The trials, led by David Levine, MD, MPH, MA, Clinical Director of Research & Development at Mass General Brigham Healthcare at Home, aim to generate evidence on Home Hospital care for patient groups that can face challenges in traditional hospital settings.

The first trial, funded by the National Institute on Aging, will evaluate a Home Hospital pathway for patients with moderate to severe dementia. The study will enroll 200 patients and follow them for one year. Participants will be randomized to receive either hospital-based care or a home-based pathway that includes proactive care planning, virtual urgent care supported by mobile integrated health paramedics, and direct admission to Mass General Brigham’s Home Hospital when required.

The study will examine whether the approach can help avoid emergency department visits and hospital admissions while increasing the amount of time patients can safely remain at home.

The second trial is a pilot study for patients presenting with primary behavioral health conditions, including psychosis, depression, anxiety and behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. The model provides hospital-level psychiatric care at home through a multidisciplinary team comprising psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists and mental health specialists.

Funded by the Thompson Family Foundation, the pilot has enrolled all 20 planned patients. It will assess the feasibility of the model, patient experience and clinical outcomes. Mass General Brigham said the study is the first effort in the US to rigorously test a Home Hospital model for patients diagnosed with a psychiatric condition in the emergency department.

Mass General Brigham operates one of the largest Home Hospitals in the country and has expanded the model to additional patient groups, including oncology. Previous research from the health system has examined the safety and effectiveness of hospital-level care delivered at home compared with traditional inpatient care.

Heather O’Sullivan, MS, APRN, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mass General Brigham’s Healthcare at Home, said the trials will help evaluate how the model can support patients with dementia and behavioral health conditions and their families.

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