House calls are making a comeback.
In the 1930s, about 40 percent of physician encounters were house calls. By 1980 it was only 1 percent, according to experts. House calls declined when medical technology improved. Patients felt they could get better care at hospitals or clinics.
But that’s changing. Technology is making it easier for doctors – and others involved in therapy – to treat patients in their own homes.
Dr. Ann Rybolt, a geriatrician with the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga, said treating people at home has many benefits.
“It is wonderful being in the home where there are people who care for the patient. They are getting a lot more one-on-one attention,” she said.