The aim behind putting the humble house call to test is to see the extent to which it can improve care and cut cost for some of Medicare's frailest patients. New data has indicated that it works.

More than $25 million were saved in the first year of a three-year study that focuses on determining the value of home-based primary care for frail seniors with multiple chronic illnesses, by avoiding expensive hospital or emergency room care, announced Medicare on Thursday.

According to Dr. Patrick Conway, Medicare's chief medical officer, the house call entails coordinated care wherein doctors and nurses can identify problems in a patient's everyday environment before his or her health condition becomes worse.

"If we can keep people as healthy as possible and at home, so they only go to the hospital or emergency room when they really need to, that both improves quality and lowers cost", said he.

House calls are setting a comeback amid a rapidly graying population. The idea behind house calls involves visit of a doctor or nurse-practitioner to frail or homebound patients who can't be provided the much needed help in a typical 15-minute office visit.

Today's house calls could mean conducting EKG in the living room, and testing for infections on the spot.

Naomi Rasmussen, whose 83-year-old father in Portland, Oregon, is part of Medicare's Independence at Home study, said house calls play a significant role in avoiding the emergency situations. Sen. Edward J. Markey, D- Mass., said patients want to get access to care in their living rooms.