Designing for Patient-Centered Care and Equity in Virtual Hospital-at-Home Models: Quality Improvement Initiative Using Experience-Based Co-Design

The rapid expansion of virtual care during COVID-19 accelerated the development of virtual hospital-at-home models, which deliver hospital-level care in patients’ homes through remote monitoring, virtual communication, and in-person support when required. While the virtual hospital-at-home model offers the potential to improve patient-centered care and health equity, rapid implementation often overlooks culturally diverse and underserved populations, including South Asian communities who experience disproportionate chronic disease burden and barriers to accessing culturally relevant services. Strategies are needed to ensure equitable design and adoption of virtual hospital-at-home models.