3 Ways EHRs Can Help with Hospice Workflow and Communication

In a hospice setting, workflow and communication can be some of the biggest pain points. The recent move toward remote work has complicated matters even further, but these problems have been around for a long time. 

A lot of this comes down to the well-known technology gap present across the industry.¹ Put simply, many providers remain stuck in the past and are in dire need of modernization. Instead of streamlined systems and responsive platforms, employees across the industry are forced to rely on workarounds and solutions that were built for other users.

Those that have made the leap forward, are reaping rewards. Time and time again, we see that hospices that commit to a digital transformation realized practical benefits across their operations and in their day-to-day work.

This isn’t to say that technology can solve everything. But along with implementing the right strategies, having the right tools in place can help hospice agencies improve in so many ways, including workflow and communication. 

Below, let’s look at a few ways that today’s leading tech solutions can make progress in both of these key areas:

1. Implementing EHRs Built Just for Hospices

Generic EHR software systems are a surefire path to inefficient workflows. Even small issues — like digital forms including unnecessary fields to fill out — can be cumbersome, and hospice professionals face frustrating workarounds.

Using a specialized EHR solution designed for hospice care is a dream by comparison. Purpose-built solutions used as they were meant to be instantly allow workflow efficiencies to come naturally. Vital patient info is available instantly, compliance-focused alerts can be set up, and interdisciplinary group (IDG) preparation can be automated.

Not only is everything streamlined and easier to manage with a system that’s up for the job, but the ultimate result is making it easier for clinicians to collaborate and focus on their greatest responsibility: caring for their patients.

2. Leveraging Centralized Views and Dashboards

Even sector-focus systems can be a hassle. Older systems often force hospice workers to dig around in databases, finicky menus, and hard-to-uncover pages to find key info. This is time they will never get back and can lead to frustration, burnout, and even turnover, which can pose severe challenges across the hospice business.²

It’s amazing how big a difference some small upgrades can make. Just by having modern, user-friendly dashboards, for example, users are greatly empowered by having everything at a glance. If employees have everything they need available right when they need it, teams can quickly make vital decisions and move forward with confidence that everyone is up to date with the latest information.

By itself, having dashboards that display charts with patient conditions and care-related statistics or offer document assessments and hospice item sets on a single screen won’t ensure that everything else runs perfectly. But it can be transformational improvement for workflow when implemented properly. This alone can really help a provider move toward a more holistic approach to interdisciplinary care.

3. Documenting and Communicating Daily Work

Good communication relies on sharing information efficiently and maintaining visibility into what teammates are doing. This makes the documentation of daily work important to keeping everyone up to speed. Any system that reduces this ongoing challenge for clinicians and actually encourages them to report in a timely fashion will keep everything running smoothly.

Additionally, poor documentation can invite regulatory risk. Interventions and patient care generally should be tied to a care plan, and any documentation lapses may make it harder to prove the medical necessity and hospice eligibility. 

When you add it all up, the benefits are overwhelming. Every hospice has a lot to gain from any form of technology proven to introduce efficiency, enhance ease of use, and provide intuitive dashboards and automated processes. 

Want to learn more? Find out how Optima Hospice solution can transform your operations today.

References:

¹ Hospice News, “Why Hospices Must Catch Up When It Comes To Communication,” November 2, 2020

² Hospice News, “Hospices Focus on Staff to Cut Turnover During Pandemic,” April 30, 2020