Experts in Home Health Give Thoughts and Advice for 2018 - Part 8

Throughout our series, we’ve provided various outlooks from home health experts on the industry landscape for 2018. Ranging from referrals to payment models to advocacy and beyond, there certainly is a lot of opportunity for the future. In this final installment, Netsmart Senior Vice President Dawn Iddings gives her thoughts on becoming a preferred referral partner.

Strive to Be a Better Referral Partner

We’ve seen a shift to a value-based care model for home health, even in states that weren’t included in the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) pilot program. Where we used to see referral sources aim to discharge patients to the agencies who were next in the rotation or had personal relationships with discharge planners, we now see different selection criteria determining who gets the most referrals. There is a clear evolution in the market and referral sources are making decisions based on the expectations of quality outcomes and a low rate of readmission when they refer to home health agencies. Those who demonstrate the best value will become preferred partners.

There is a narrowing of healthcare networks and the responsive agencies who manage their outcomes while delivering better and more efficient care are the ones who will thrive. Health systems look to partners who can prove value when they set up their preferred partner networks.

For agencies, it also means having the right clinical programs to deliver the care to the patients, delivering that care effectively and then, proving that back to referring partner. Data analytics give you the ability to demonstrate trust and that you know how to manage a given case and deliver the best care.

Read other advice and insight from home health industry experts now. Catch up on the entire Experts in Home Health series right here on CareThreads.