Several leading organizations in the home health care and hospice industry are sponsoring a study to establish best practices and provide insights into the growing and evolving sector they serve. These organizations include the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), NAHC Forum of State Associations, LeadingAge, Home Care Association of America (HCAOA), Council of State Home Care and Hospice Associations, and HealthPivots.
During the initial phase of the research, a survey was sent to those involved in home care and hospice to help provide future insights for “The National Healthcare at Home 2021 Best Practices and Future Insights Study” being produced. The study is designed to add value to the industry as well as to the vendors and state and national associations and organizations that support the industry.
This research is more important than ever in identifying best practices as the home health care industry is evolving quickly in the face of recent challenges including COVID-19, Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the expansion of Value-Based Purchasing. As the healthcare landscape is shifting, providers want to be poised to meet the needs of its patients in a changing market.
“Given the shifting landscape of care delivered in the community and in the home, the study’s independent findings will provide important insights into the challenges and opportunities around better quality care, better quality jobs, and how the public and private sectors can work together to achieve successful outcomes,” said Robyn Stone, senior vice president of research at LeadingAge and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
The NAHC in its press release stated that the study will help in the growth of the home health care industry, which the association considers to be the future of health care.
The study, in addition to helping providers implement best practices to drive better quality and improve financial outcomes, serves to bring the entire industry together in the collective effort to provide this critical research. Research for the study includes several phases:
- Phase I
In preparation for the study, a web-based input survey was sent to individuals in the home health care field to suggest issues and ask questions the respondents would like to see addressed in the study of leading agency leaders. - Phase II
Meetings will be held at a National Steering Committee, which is comprised of leaders from the national and state associations as well as others in the industry. Together the National Steering Committee will work to review themes from the input survey and begin to develop questions for the study. - Phase III
The in-depth online survey will be administered to nearly 1,000 agency leaders and their responses will be collected. Responses will include a mix of agencies from different regions and with different revenue breakdowns. - Phase V
A team of data experts at BerryDunn, which is conducting the study on behalf of the industry, will analyze the survey results to identify best practices and future insights that can be shared with the industry. BerryDunn is a full-service accounting, assurance, and consulting firm with a specialty in healthcare. - Phase VI
A presentation of the findings will be delivered during the NAHC Annual Meeting.
Results will be made available free to every home health care agency in the country.
We at Manchester Specialty Programs look forward to sharing the results of the study. We specialize in providing agents and brokers with totally integrated business insurance solutions to meet the needs of Home Care, Allied Health and Human/Social Services organizations. For more information about how our products and services can help protect your insureds, please contact us at 855.972.9399.
Sources: McKnight’s Senior Living, BerryDunn