There’s little room on the proverbial plate for home health agency leaders. There are many systems to manage, from managing patient records and staff timesheets to billing, insurance documents, and supply inventory. But, you can streamline processes by choosing home health software and implementing it to improve the experience for patients, caregivers, and employees. 

Home health software can improve operational efficiency, promote caregiver retention, boost customer service, and serve as a communication platform for everyone involved in patient care. 

Why You Need Home Health Software

Working smarter, not harder, will help your agency have greater success. By choosing an integrated software that can link business functions and caregiving tasks together, you can increase productivity. 

Key reasons to purchase integrated software include: 

• Improves patient experience
• Empowers caregivers
• Increases efficiency
• Promotes accountability and transparency

Steps for Choosing Home Health Software

Selecting an integrated technology system for your agency can be a costly and lasting decision. Your team will use it numerous times a day. You want to choose software capable of completing as many business needs as possible while also offering a user-friendly interface. Follow these selection tips when choosing a home health software.

1. Define Your Needs

Make a list of everything your agency offers and identify the tasks and challenges you wish to solve or streamline with home health software. Name everything you want the software to accomplish and define goals for its successful implementation. Don’t rush through this step. Clearly defining what you need software for will help you purchase the best product for your needs. 

2. Get Team Input

Your entire team will use the software you select, so ask everyone at the agency what they hope the software will accomplish and if they have feedback. The user experience for frontline caregivers likely differs from that of the administrative staff. It’s essential to consider the needs of everyone at your organization. Including everyone in the conversation from the start will ensure you don’t overlook functional needs. It also may promote faster employee adoption, which means the business and patients win. 

3. Do Your Research

As you consider different software vendors, heed information available online and from current and prior users. Read online reviews and speak to colleagues working for other agencies to ask about their experiences with different platforms. 

When speaking with software sales teams, guide the conversation by sharing exactly what you’re looking for from a product. Clearly provide your must-haves list, and make the sales team prove why their platform is superior. 

Don’t get distracted by the bells and whistles they can show you. Focus on how the platform can fulfill your unique business needs. Inquire about new features in development, access to customer support, and make sure you understand software functionality.

4. Test Your Options

Try (many!) software options before you buy. Be sure to complete a trial period with a few different platforms before selecting the best one for your business. You’ll want to include team members from different areas in the trials, so you can learn how the software works for employees serving different functions. Be sure to ask for their feedback on usability and intelligent design. Don’t settle for software that makes care coordination difficult. You’re looking for the perfect product to simplify things. 

5. Think Ahead

Daydream about how your business could expand in the next three years, and make sure to purchase software that will grow with you. By thinking ahead, you can minimize the potential of transitioning to a different software a few years down the road. 

Essentials for Home Health Software

“Must-have” lists will look different for every agency, but everyone should consider the following as non-negotiables when choosing home health software.

Guiding factors when selecting software include:

• Ease of Use. Choose an intuitive software platform that your most technologically illiterate family member could navigate. You want to implement software your team can successfully navigate, so you want to consider the varied technological skills of your employees.
• Integration of Services. Explore how existing business programs and services can integrate with your home health software to reduce workflow inefficiencies. 
• Understand how the vendor provides customer and technical support. Some questions to ask include: Is there a phone number you can call, or is everything done via email? Can you get immediate help, or do you go into a queue to be answered another day? Is there a cost associated with contacting customer support? 
• Cost. Don’t pay for unneeded bells and whistles. It’s possible to select a product that continues serving the business’ needs as they evolve without purchasing functionalities you’ll never use. 
• Compliance. Ensure the selected software has a GPS function and the ability to satisfy Electronic Visit Verification needs, ensuring your agency remains compliant with healthcare tech regulations. 

Choose Fokes for Your Home Health Software Needs

When you implement the right home health software, your agency can thrive. By holding all patient information in one centralized location, all parties have access, and patients ultimately receive better care. 

Fokes is a forward-thinking communication app that offers a three-prong technological solution for home health care agencies. The app includes tasks, messaging, payments, information, digital forms, client records, employee records, scheduling, and even a GPS function. If your care agency needs software for these functions, reach out to learn more about Fokes.