Study also finds that patients are significantly burdened from poorly managed care transitions
Jacksonville, FLA., June 5, 2023 – Home Health Care News (HHCN), in partnership with Forcura, a healthcare workflow management company, published a survey report today that demonstrates the increasingly prominent challenges of managing care transitions in the home-based care sector.
Forcura and HHCN surveyed 154 home-based care professionals, with 69% of them serving in C-suite or leadership roles such as vice president and director, in April 2023. Respondents shared how their organizations receive, manage and select referrals and the role technology plays in referral processes.
Most notably, the referral rejection rate, or the number of patients turned away from home-based care after being referred by their doctor, remains a significant problem for this sector. Sixty-four percent of respondents say the rejection rate remained unchanged or worsened since 2022. HHCN reported in April 2023 that the rejection rate in home health care had reached 76%.
Further, more than 44% of participants acknowledge that poorly managed care transitions have had a very negative or extremely negative impact on their patients.
“The study indicates that we have an emerging care continuum crisis – we must do better for the people who need care at home,” said Annie Erstling, chief operating officer of Forcura. “Finding solutions to administrative and referral management obstacles is crucial to keeping pace with the continuous growth of home-based healthcare.”
The study also shared that care transitions issues could in part be attributed to the complexities of managing multiple referral channels. More than 70% of respondents noted that their organization’s staff manages as many as five referral channels, with phone calls, referral portals and fax being the top three methods.
“Without the right tools, delivering positive outcomes to patients whose needs align with the provider’s services, while also keeping costs of care low, will remain a key challenge,” said Erstling. “Fortunately, technology and other resources exist to offset these burdens and help providers make smart decisions in the best of interest of both the patient and practice.”
For more information and to download the full study, visit https://homehealthcarenews.com/ebook/referral-challenges-and-opportunities-in-home-based-care/ .
About Forcura
Forcura, a healthcare workflow management company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, facilitates continuity of care and improves business performance for providers via its automated workflow, collaboration and analytics SaaS solutions. The company is deeply committed to empowering better patient care and elevating the role of post-acute in the broader healthcare continuum. The company is a KLAS® certified technology vendor, is a certified Great Place to Work™ employer, and has ranked for the sixth consecutive year on the Inc. 5000. For more information visit forcura.com, call 800-378-0596 or follow Forcura on LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Tyler Holder
tholder@highreason.com
904.645.6200
