Hospitals vs House Calls

My mother was not a fan of Hospitals.  In fact she described them as the place you went to die.

 

Now I thought her views were just silly because of course in the modern world hospitals were where we got better. 

 

Thinking about her view and when she grew up, doctors used to make house calls.  For the majority of things they would take your temperature, listen to your heart ask you a few questions and tell you to rest and fill a prescription. They might advise your caretaker on what to watch for.  If they said you had to go to the hospital, it wasn't a good thing, it meant you had a very serious disease that he couldn't treat in your home.

 

So yes, trips to the hospital were bad and often preceded dying.

 

Those same doctors also had offices  where they also would treat you.  Those still exist but of course they required you to go there.  If you were too sick for that the doctor would come to you.

 

I'm not aware of any doctors that still make house calls, although of course they could exist.  If you think about being treated at home vs being treated in a hospital the difference in cost and risk are significant.  Yes hospitals are supposed to be sterile but we know that they also have some significant risks.  They are also incredibly expensive and are likely to perform a lot of tests to make sure they aren't sued. 

 

At home it might not be sterile, but it could be clean enough and certainly wouldn't cost anywhere near what a hospital does.  While a doctor might refer you for some tests, it just seems much less likely in most cases. 

 

Will we ever return to the world of house calls?  It doesn't seem likely but we now have virtual consults and perhaps the on site person doesn't have to be an MD, merely have one on-line to direct a visiting  assistant.

 

It seems like it could be a way to reduce health costs and provide treatment for a large percentage of people with common ailments. 

 

Just an idea but maybe its time?