Laguna Health is launching an app to help patients manage their care at home after discharge from the hospital.

The app offers post-discharge patients access to a 24/7 care team, behavioral care providers and coaches, recovery plans, educational resources, and chat or video appointments.

Laguna is currently undergoing a clinical trial with NorthShore University HealthSystem in the Chicago area. 

"The status quo in post-hospital recovery in the U.S. is unacceptable. Patients deserve better. Employers, payers and health plans shouldering a portion of the costs deserve better. Laguna Health is making better possible," cofounder and CEO Yoni Shtein said in a statement.

"Our early clinical studies with leading providers like NorthShore Health System are proving that digital-first care is the path forward to improving patient outcomes and driving down costs. We look forward to getting Laguna Health into the hands of more individuals as we continue to build out our clinical data set and codify post-hospital recovery."

WHY IT MATTERS

Hospital readmissions can be costly for providers and patients. More than 2,500 hospitals in the U.S. were penalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in fiscal 2021 because of a history of readmitting too many patients. 

A statistical brief by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project out of HHS found 3.8 million adult hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge in 2018, which cost an average of more than $15,000.

"It's not uncommon for patients to be so mentally and emotionally consumed with preparing for or enduring a hospital stay, that they are underprepared for at-home recovery," Dr. Mark Lampert, deputy head of the division of cardiology at NorthShore University HealthSystem, said in a statement.

"Equally as true is that our healthcare system puts the lion's share of post-hospital recovery responsibility on the patient. Our clinical study with Laguna is showing that personalized, data-driven, digital-first care is having a material impact on patient outcomes."

THE LARGER TREND

More advanced care is moving to virtual settings as companies expand “hospital at home” programs.

Earlier this year, Israel-based Biobeat launched a home-based version of its remote monitoring platform, including a wireless photoplethysmography (PPG) vitals monitor and apps for patients to view their data and transmit it to their providers.

During a J.P. Morgan virtual presentation in January, Teladoc Health CEO Jason Gorevic said the telehealth giant was interested in expanding into the hospital at home space.