This new care model helps the healthcare industry as hospitals are actively exploring how to reduce readmissions and insurance companies are investigating minimizing costs.
Improved cost savings. Virtual visits can effectively replace many visits which are traditionally conducted at the client’s home. As a result, expenses associated with field staff driving to/from home care appointments will be reduced. Over the longer term, costs related to Emergency Room visits and re-hospitalizations would decrease as the number of readmissions are effectively reduced.
Increased staff productivity. With virtual care, field staff can deliver care to more clients during the typical shift. Instead of worrying about the accuracy of directions (or potential traffic delays) en route to a client’s home, field staff can focus their scheduled time (and related attention) on their home healthcare clients – regardless of where the clients reside. Over the longer term, agency administrators can schedule staff around the pattern of client availability and on-demand requests for virtual visits vs. relying on the traditional staffing models associated with in-person appointments.
Improved consistency in care delivery. Field staff can maintain consistency in care delivery by following established protocols, regardless of how (and where) the care is delivered. The increased opportunities for client communication will help staff regularly ask the appropriate questions, gather the necessary client data, address individual questions, and identify early warning signs of issues which may require further intervention. A consistent process for conducting and documenting each virtual visit will help minimize errors across the agencies’ home-based clients.
Enhanced quality of life. Virtual visits offers the opportunity for field staff to “visit” with clients in a way that improves overall satisfaction for all stakeholders. Clients continue to stay safely and comfortably at home while under the care of the field staff. And, field staff continue to provide care and companionship to their clients but through a more convenient channel that leverages time and technology.
Home Health Agencies can evolve their delivery of high quality care by incorporating technology-based virtual care platforms that drive more satisfaction and better outcomes for all involved. Having a new option for providing clients with timely access to convenient, compassionate, and quality care can help alleviate agencies’ challenges and costs associated with travel to/from home-based clients.