A systematic literature review of the patient hotel model

Abstract

Background

The patient hotel model was developed in Northern Europe as a response to increased demand for health and wellbeing services. According to current literature the patient hotel model is a concept of care provision which combines non-acute hospital care with hospitality to afford patients/guests increased satisfaction and security whilst benefitting from evidenced based care.

Objective(s)

This paper evaluates the concept of the patient hotel model. It presents the findings of a systematic review of existing literature evaluating the benefits such a model can bring to healthcare services and reports on the efficacy in terms of cost to health service providers, and health outcomes to patients/guests. The authors' aimed to complete a meta-analysis of the data, but were unable to, due to the diversity in the descriptions, service provisions, and client group.

Design

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was used to conduct and report this systematic review. In order to focus the research question, the PICO (Population; Intervention; Comparison and Outcome) framework was used to develop a strategy in literature searching, to ensure systematic rigor.

Data sources/review methods

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were used to search for randomized controlled trials, quasi experimental studies, quantitative and qualitative studies conducted between January 1st 2008 and August 9th, 2018, published in a peer reviewed journal in English or which provided an abstract in English. Citation searches and hand searches were also conducted.

Results

8,693 papers were retrieved and from abstract screening 68 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility by applying an inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven articles were retained for quality assessment. Methodological rigor was appraised using accepted criteria for the evaluation of research. On appraisal, one systematic review, one Randomized Clinical Trial, two qualitative studies, one quantitative survey, one retrospective analysis of services, and one comparative analysis paper were included for data synthesis. The functionality of the patient hotel model differed across the six countries that reported on them in the included studies, from oncology care, medical care, post-acute rehabilitation and perioperative care. The studies included in this review broadly focused on the themes of patient experience and/or cost, with the intention of informing future service provision. Studies relating to cost efficacy looked at the potential financial savings which could be realized through adopting the patient hotel model. The appraised studies found positive benefits of adopting the patient hotel model, both in terms of cost and patient satisfaction. One study explored the role of nurses in a patient hotel.

Conclusions

The lack of consistent definition, diversity in the descriptions, service provisions, and client groups meant that the results could only be systematically reviewed and not synthesized into a meta-analysis. The inconsistencies in labeling and description also have implications for the review process, as studies adopting more abstract classification of the patient hotel model may not have been included in the review. On balance, the appraised evidence appears to suggest that there are positive benefits to patients, nurses and healthcare providers. However further research of greater rigor is needed to provide a better understanding of these outcome measures.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Patient hotels have particular relevance to the field of rehabilitation as they have a strong ethos of promoting self-care and independence, facilitated through greater freedom and family involvement.

• The patient hotel model has the potential to impact healthcare provision on the global stage, but there is no universal definition, making evidence evaluation difficult.

• The patient hotel model combines the concepts of health and hospitality and could potentially provide a cost-effective alternative to healthcare, with positive outcomes for patient experience as well as patient health.

• There is a need to explore new systems of care delivery which provide increased patient satisfaction, and a seamless continuum of care at the acute and primary care interface.

• This paper examines the patient hotel model of care, and its merits in terms of care provision, patient satisfaction and service efficiency, contributing to the embryonic literature in this field.

Keywords:

• Patient hotel
• recovery hotel
• healthcare hotel
• hospital hotel

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.