National Library of Medicine

Patient safety at home is as important as patient safety in hospitals. Unsafe conditions in the home can lead to unnecessary or avoidable hospitalization. Home care decreases costs, improves health outcomes, and reduces hospital stays.

Home care nurses provide a valuable service to their patients by helping them stay healthier, reducing costs, and helping them avoid hospitals and long-term care facilities. Approaches that do not consider the input of these critical yet underappreciated healthcare providers run the risk of missing valuable opportunities to reduce adverse events and improve care received at home. The experience and expertise of home care nurses have the potential to guide substantial improvements in patient safety and care at a relatively low cost. Ignoring them is not just foolish, but dangerous.