Home infusion therapy combined with home health services provides a safe and effective alternative to prolonged hospitalization for elderly Chinese patients requiring long-term intravenous treatment, with demonstrated benefits including reduced hospital burden, improved continuity of care, and potential healthcare cost savings.
Implementing home infusion therapy and home health services in China could provide a sustainable, patient-centric alternative to prolonged hospitalization for the aging population and those with chronic conditions.
Background China’s healthcare system is confronting a rising burden of antimicrobial resistance, chronic complex diseases, and an aging population requiring long-term, post-acute care. As a value-based care model in the USA for over 50 years, home infusion therapy (HIT), combined with home health services (HHS), presents a sustainable alternative to prolonged hospitalization for intravenous medication administration. In this two-part narrative review, Part 1 provides a needs assessment describing the demographic, clinical, and public health factors driving the demand for HIT and HHS in China. Methods We conducted a literature search up to January 2026 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Results In Part 1, we present the impact of the aging population and chronic conditions requiring prolonged infusion therapy (including cancer, malnutrition and infections like osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and bacteremia) on the rising antimicrobial resistance, hospital burden and healthcare expenditures. Through the patient-centric solution of HIT and HHS, patients can receive intravenous medications and nutrition in the comfort of their homes, enabling the continuity of care beyond the hospital. Services include outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy, hospice and palliative care in patients with cancer, and management of nutritional needs through total parenteral nutrition. Under this care model, reimbursement is tied to success in improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital readmissions. A detailed reimbursement and cost-effectiveness considerations are addressed in Part 2 of this review. Conclusion With proper infrastructure development and reimbursement mechanisms that align payment with value, HIT and HHS could mitigate antimicrobial resistance, and transform and sustain affordable care delivery in China, especially for older adults and those with chronic conditions. Part 2 is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1761870 .
Zuo et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Aging population in China with chronic complex conditions requiring long-term post-acute care including infections requiring prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy, cancer patients needing chemotherapy or palliative care, and patients with malnutrition requiring parenteral nutrition. Home infusion therapy (HIT) combined with home health services (HHS) vs. Prolonged hospitalization/inpatient intravenous therapy was evaluated on Improved patient outcomes including reduced hospital readmissions, morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs through home-based intravenous therapy versus inpatient care. Home infusion therapy combined with home health services provides a safe and effective alternative to prolonged hospitalization for elderly Chinese patients requiring long-term intravenous treatment, with demonstrated benefits including reduced hospital burden, improved continuity of care, and potential healthcare cost savings.