For many reasons -- including the rising cost of health care and aging of the U.S. population -- health care is increasingly moving from formal medical facilities into patients' homes.
A wide range of procedures and therapies are now carried out far from any hospital or clinic, often with no health care professional on site.
HEALTH CARE COMES HOME: THE HUMAN FACTORS, a new report from the National Research Council, recommends steps the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies and groups can take to ensure that the medical devices used in home care are easy and safe to use and that caregivers are well-trained.
THE REPORT IS EMBARGOED AND NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE BEFORE 11 A.M. EDT ON MONDAY, JULY 18. Reporters can obtain copies by contacting the Office of News and Public Information at tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu