Unlocking Solutions: How Health IT is Bridging the Gap in Home Health Care Amidst Staff Shortages

Home health care has become an increasingly vital part of our healthcare system, allowing patients to receive necessary medical attention and support in the comfort of their own homes. With an aging population and rising healthcare costs, home healthcare has seen a surge in demand. However, a persistent challenge continues to hinder the efficiency and effectiveness of this sector – staff shortages.

More than 75% of individuals aged 50 and above in America express a desire to remain in their homes as they age. However, a recent study published in Health Affairs, highlights the declining availability of the essential home-based workforce needed to fulfill this demand. The shortage of staff in home healthcare has profound consequences, impacting both the quality of patient care and placing significant strain on healthcare workers. These consequences are wide-ranging and demand our focused attention.

A study led by LDI Senior Fellow Hummy Song discovered that over 30% of full-time registered nurses and around 25% of licensed practical nurses left their positions at a large home health care agency within a year. This high turnover is mainly due to volatile scheduling. To match supply and demand in real-time, it is not uncommon for home health staff to find out their schedules the night before their shift. Another study found that experiencing just 30 days of high schedule variability in a year increases the odds of a nurse quitting by 20%.

Addressing staff shortages in home health care necessitates a multifaceted strategy. Firstly, increased funding is crucial to enhance recruitment and retention efforts. Competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits packages, and opportunities for career development and advancement are all factors that can attract more healthcare professionals to the field of home healthcare.  (Home Health Care Workforce Not Keeping Up with Community Needs, Nancy Sherman).  However, implementing institutional and federal policy changes often entails lengthy approval processes. This is where Health IT companies step in, partnering to expedite impactful solutions.

On February 28th, Interlace Health is hosting a webinar with Strata Health and Telos Health Solutions: ‘The Evolution of Home Health: Technology Innovations Enhancing Home-Based Care’.  You can learn more & register for the event here.

• Strata Health helps hospitals and skilled nursing facilities find available Home Healthcare Resources that match the patients’ needs. Many patients who rely on home health services have complex medical conditions that require specialized and continuous care.  Not all patients are alike, for example patients that have recovered from a stroke.  Not all Home Healthcare providers can deal with Post-Stroke Care.  Strata ensures that patients are not only matched up based on availability but also based on applicable services.
• Telos Health Solutions enables Home Healthcare agencies the ability to maximize their interactions with patients through less but more impactful on-site visits.  The lack of available staff hampers home healthcare patients from receiving the timely and comprehensive care they need. Long waiting lists and delayed visits can result in deteriorating health conditions and increased hospitalizations, defeating the purpose of home health care altogether.  Telos’ innovative telehealth platform enables clinicians the ability to have more touchpoints with patients, virtually, and more frequently between their on-site home visits.  Actionable patient-reported updates, and aggregated reports of those patient insights help identify and solve potential systemic care challenges

Moreover, staff shortages often lead to an increased workload for existing home health workers. With fewer hands available to provide care, the burden falls on those who remain. This can result in burnout, exhaustion, and decreased job satisfaction for healthcare workers. Long working hours, increased stress levels, and limited time spent with each patient can compromise the quality of care being delivered. It is essential to recognize that the well-being of both patients and staff is interconnected, and one cannot be prioritized at the expense of the other.  Interlace Health is reducing the time nurses spend onboarding patients and ongoing consenting, affording nurses more time to make more visits.

In conclusion, the repercussions of staff shortages in home health care extend to patient care, healthcare workers, and accessibility to healthcare services. While we anticipate the implementation of institutional and policy mandates, healthcare IT is actively collaborating to alleviate some of these challenges.

 

About the Author:

Kristin Shores is a results-driven Strategic Partner Executive with a proven track record of cultivating and nurturing high-value partnerships that drive business growth and innovation. With over a decade of experience in the field, Kristin’s expertise lies at the intersection of relationship-building, strategic planning, and business development. As a strategic thinker, Kristin leverages her comprehensive knowledge of market trends and emerging technologies to craft innovative partnership strategies that position her organizations at the forefront of their respective industries. Her ability to adapt to evolving market landscapes and pivot with agility has been instrumental in delivering sustainable growth.  Connect with Kristin on LinkedIn. 

 

Contact Kristin to learn more about Interlace Health’s Partnership Program: kshores@interlaceclone.flywheelstaging.com

 

 

Join our Feb. 28th Webinar – The Evolution of Home Health: Technology Innovations Enhancing Home-Based Care