There has been a lot of press lately about the growing demand for home healthcare services, due to older adults who want to remain in their homes as long as possible and patients of all ages who would rather recover from an illness or injury in the comfort of their own home than in a hospital bed. There’s also been a lot of talk about home healthcare quality, thanks to CMS’ new star rating systems for home health agencies, which rate providers on their performance in several key areas.
However, what all of this focus on demand and quality hasn’t addressed is what patients actually want from home health providers during their visits. While acknowledging that more people want quality home health is important, it doesn’t always address patient priorities. And as anyone who has ever received subpar service at a five-star restaurant can attest, just because something is highly rated doesn’t mean that it’s always a great experience.
So, then, what do patients want from their home health providers — and how can those providers actually meet those expectations to ensure satisfied patients? As it turns out, the list of priorities isn’t that long.
1. Organization and Accuracy
We all joke about how we have seemingly endless waits for the cable television technician to arrive, but the jokes lose their humor when you are a sick or disabled patient waiting for your home health provider to show. Home health patients want their providers to show up when they say they will, and have everything they need for the visit. The best NDIS software assists home health providers with this; streamlining the delivery of services, boosting efficiency, and thus resulting in a higher standard of care for the patient.
Patients also want their providers to have the most accurate and up-to-date information about their health and their treatment plan. Advanced home healthcare software is a vital tool for meeting this expectation. Not only is scheduling handled correctly, but treatment plans and billing are also handled more accurately. In short, patients expect their providers to know what needs to be done, and don’t want to deal with billing errors or issues.
2. Clinical Excellence
Patients receiving home healthcare services expect to receive care that is on par with that they would receive in the clinical environment. Plus, maintaining a high standard of care in any setting will contribute significantly to keeping high levels of patient retention. Home health providers must be at the top of their game in a wide range of clinical functions; this isn’t the place for inexperienced or unconfident providers. Patients want to know that the people providing their care have the knowledge and skills to not only provide services in line with their treatment plan, but also have the knowledge to be proactive and responsive should something need additional attention.
3. Excellent Communication
Many home health professionals note that they enjoy working in the field because they appreciate the opportunity to build relationships with their patients, something that isn’t always possible when working in a hospital or nursing home. Patients also report that they like working with the same person at every visit, whereas in a hospital they might see a different nurse every time. However, much of that relationship building comes from the homecare provider’s communication skills.
Patients want to work with providers who are not only pleasant and compassionate, but who can communicate clearly with them, their family members, and other healthcare workers involved. They want to understand why they are doing what they are doing, they want to know more about their medications, and they want someone who will listen to their concerns and give them answers. To ensure your team possesses these vital communication skills, consider using hiring resources for employers that specialize in sourcing candidates with strong interpersonal abilities. These resources can help you find professionals who not only meet technical qualifications but also excel in patient engagement and empathetic communication.
4. Collaboration With Family Members
Home health providers are often part of a team of caregivers that includes family members, including spouses and children. Often, one of the biggest issues in home health is the fact that providers don’t always include family members in conversations, or take their input into account when developing or implementing treatment plans. Therefore, patients and their families want home health providers who view family members as part of the caregiving team, and involve them in major decisions regarding the patient.
In many ways, patient desires for home health providers aren’t that much different from those for any type of healthcare. All patients want good communication and collaboration from their providers. However, because home healthcare providers are coming into patients’ homes, and treating them when they are at their most vulnerable, it’s important for home health agencies to consider patient priorities and include them in their planning and training processes.
