Witness the revolution in Home Health Care as artificial intelligence and automation, coupled with advanced Home Care Software, transform patient care. Elevate efficiency, precision, and the overall healthcare experience.

This blog will discuss the definitions of automation and artificial Intelligence, their differences, and how these technologies will impact the home healthcare industry.

Overview

Census Bureau reports that by 2034, there will be more adults over the age of 65 compared to children under the age of 18. According to AARP, 77% of adults over 50 want to remain in their homes as they age. The demand for home and community-based care will continue to grow due to the preference of the elderly populations to age at home. In 2023, the home care industry was valued at $96.08 billion. By 2030, the home care industry is projected to grow to $156.28 billion due to changes in the geriatric population, an increase in chronic conditions, and the overall affordability of home care instead of in-patient care.

Even though increasing demand for Home Care Services will provide many growth opportunities, home healthcare providers will continue facing significant headwinds. The labor shortage will be an ongoing and vital challenge. In addition to labor shortage, wage growth and inflation will pose additional challenges for home care agencies. Reimbursement cuts and other regulatory requirements will also put significant pressure on the bottom line for home care agencies.

Home healthcare agencies should leverage technology and Home Healthcare Software to overcome their challenges. Automation and Artificial Intelligence will empower home health care agencies to do more with less, improve operational efficiency and bottom line, and grow.

Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Automation

Automation, also known as Process Automation or Robotics Process Automation (RPA), uses technology to automate routine and repetitive tasks without human intervention. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a software technology that emulates human actions with computer software to automate a rule-based, repeatable process.

RPA tools will require teaching (configuration) the process steps before using the tools to automate them.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence(AI) is the technology capable of performing tasks that historically required human Intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns. AI is an umbrella term encompassing various technologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP). Artificial Intelligence adds learning and Intelligence to automation, enabling computer systems to mimic human judgment and decision-making.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) loosely defines many things we use daily, such as recommended movies or TV shows, Google Maps, translating text, or answering customer support questions. The question remains if this is true artificial Intelligence or deep machine learning.

Artificial Intelligence differs from process automation's ability to learn, deduct, and decide like human beings.

At this point, Robotic Process Automation is more advanced than Artificial Intelligence in home health care.

Robotic Process Automation in Home Health Care

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) automates rule-based recurring and repeatable processes by teaching the RPA tools the repeatable steps and removing input from people. RPA is usually focused on data entry and processing activities to emulate the steps people will take to get the job done. RPA will reduce errors, improve productivity, improve quality, reduce cost, and improve overall efficiency.

The following are some functional areas RPA can help in home health care.

Referral Management

Home Health Care Agencies receive referrals through different channels. RPA can automate receiving referral information, reviewing the data, and transferring the information to Home Health Care EMR Software.

Eligibility Verification

The Eligibility Verification process requires connecting to portals for payers or clearing houses to check for eligibility for patients on a recurrent basis. RPA can help to automate this process.

Authorization

The authorization process requires connecting to portals for payers or clearinghouses to upload information and receive authorization for patients on a recurrent basis. RPA can help to automate this process.

Schedule Reminders

The process of sending schedule reminders for patients and employees can be automated using RPA tools.

Medication Reminders

RPA tools can help agencies send medication reminders to patients based on the patient's medication profile.

The right Home Care Software that integrates with robotic process automation tools will help agencies implement process automation, improve productivity, reduce cost, and improve the bottom line.

Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence for Home Health Care Agencies

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Home Health Care

Artificial Intelligence technology can perform tasks that historically required human Intelligence by absorbing and learning from available data, identifying patterns, and making decisions. Artificial Intelligence is different from Robotic Process Automation. While Artificial Intelligence can learn and make decisions, RPA relies on people teaching and repeating the process.

Artificial intelligence technology can provide real-time insights to home healthcare agencies that will help them make informed decisions to improve the quality of care, operational efficiency, and the bottom line.

The following are some functional areas in which Artificial Intelligence technology can help in home health care.

Care Planning

Intelligence can be built into the Home Health Care Software to analyze patient assessments and other clinical information to suggest problem areas to the clinician. Clinicians can use these suggestions to personalize patient care plans for better clinical outcomes.

Scheduling

Scheduling Intelligence can be built into the Home Care Software to provide intelligent employee matches based on patient preferences, employee skills, availability, and travel time. Home healthcare agencies will see improved patient and employee satisfaction while reducing costs and improving the bottom line.

Cash Flow

Artificial Intelligence technology can analyze reimbursement time and denial rates to predict more accurate cash flow based on the reimbursement pattern for different payers.

Automation Tools

Home Care Agencies should find the right tools to implement process automation. The tools should be easy to use, scalable, and configurable to meet future changes. The tools should also be able to integrate with the Home Care Software platform the agencies use.

Home Care Software should have the proper foundation and tools to enable automation and AI. Without the right software, automation may become inefficient, more expensive, and hinder growth.

Pre-built or pre-configured automation and AI tools based on the Home Care Software will be more efficient, less expensive, and more beneficial to the agency.

Conclusion

Automation and Artificial Intelligence technologies can be intimidating to Home Health Care agencies. There is a fear that these tools can replace human connection and jobs. These technologies will help home care agencies to empower employees to deliver quality care, improve their efficiency, and improve their satisfaction. In essence, Automation and AI technologies will enable agencies to do more with less, especially when there are acute labor shortages in the home care industry.

Using ONE Home Care Software for all home-based services will help home care agencies implement automation tools efficiently.

Right automation and artificial technology with the right Home Care Software will help home care agencies automate repetitive tasks, empower their employees to make better decisions, improve operational efficiency and bottom line, and grow the agency.

About CareVoyant

CareVoyant is a leading provider of cloud-based integrated enterprise-scale home health care software that can support all home-based services under ONE Software, ONE Patient, and ONE Employee, making it a Single System of Record. We support all home based services, including Home Care, Private Duty Nursing, Private Duty Non-Medical, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Home Health, Pediatric Home Care, and Outpatient Therapy at Home.

CareVoyant functions – Intake, Authorization Management, Scheduling, Clinical with Mobile options, eMAR/eTAR, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), Billing/AR, Secure Messaging, Notification, Reporting, and Dashboards – streamline workflow, meet regulatory requirements, improve quality of care, optimize reimbursement, improve operational efficiency and agency bottom line.

For more information, please visit CareVoyant.com or call us at 1-888-463-6797.