At-home care organizations are looking to improve operations this year, particularly in managing staffing and scheduling, according to a survey and report commissioned by Dallas-based Axxess.
In the Axxess 2024 Industry Trends Report, maintaining more efficient operations was reflected as the primary concern of survey participants. Asked about how technology can support their operations, fifty percent said they want operational process improvement, and 36% are looking for more effective documentation methods, according to a press release for the report. Forty-seven percent said employee engagement technology would help toward that end, and 45% said staff training technology is the answer.
“It’s clear that care-at-home organizations are looking to streamline operations as they optimize business operations,” Tammy Ross, executive vice president of professional services at Axxess, said in the news release.
“I am encouraged by these results because they show that organizations want to remain viable and deliver high-quality care at home. Hospice and home healthcare reimbursement is shifting toward a focus on value and quality, so embracing technology is the fastest way to elevate operations in a way that improves efficiency, optimizes outcomes, and attracts and retains staff,” added Ross.
The Axxess survey was conducted with the Council of State Home Care & Hospice Associations and the Forum of State Associations and distributed to thousands of nationwide organizations in November and December.
“While respondents indicated a number of challenges facing them in 2024, two were noted by more than 50% of respondents: staffing (62%) and changing payment dynamics relate to alternative payment models (51%),” according to the report. “Regulatory changes, audit scrutiny, and oversight (37%) were cited by more than one in three.”
Additionally, when asked about their organizations’ state of preparedness for meeting regulatory and reimbursement challenges this year, ten percent said they are ready for “the key issues that will impact care-at-home providers, though another 34% indicated their organizations are somewhat prepared,” the report shows. “This suggests a greater need for process improvements and efficiencies to mitigate the impact of regulatory changes among most organizations.”
Axxess provides software programs for home health, palliative, and hospice providers that serve more than 5 million patients worldwide.
