A Brief Overview of Hospice Care and the Corresponding Services to Expect

Hospice care services vary according to provider. Some groups offer extensive programs, while others have a limited number. Common services across the country include residential, hospital, and visiting hospices. The following is a simple breakdown of each type.

In home care

In home or residential care is the ideal solution for elderly people who prefer receiving treatment in a familiar environment rather than another facility. A good majority of those who go into hospice choose this option because it allows them to stay with loved ones during a very difficult time. While other hospice care facilities have regular visiting hours and other guidelines, staying at home does not. There are several advantages to choosing this type of care, two examples of which include the following:

24/7 Care - While you and other family members serve as the primary caregivers, round the clock assistance is available from the different groups providing the service. These caregivers consist of registered nurses you can call any time of the day. An in-home team is able to assist with pain management, especially for those with terminal diseases. They can also help with simple things like light housekeeping and reading, talking, and listening to the patient.

EHR Technology System

The healthcare industry today is arguably experiencing the most change and challenges dealing with technology integration than any other industry. Health information technology is at the core of the global transition in healthcare as it's becoming more apparent that medical organizations will not be able to effectively coordinate care without having real-time access to patient data in order to measure every aspect of care delivery. Today, it's of critical importance for medical organizations to approach EHR selection as a foundational aspect of their long-term business strategy in order to effectively navigate the future of healthcare with the emergence of accountable care, new payer models, and payment reform. Only recently has there been tangible evidence that illustrates the challenges many ambulatory medical organizations are facing with adopting EHR technology.

A recent KLAS report found that out of four hundred providers surveyed, thirty-five percent are looking to replace their existing EHR system. Additionally, itwas reported that more than forty percent of groups with more than one hundred physicians are also looking to changeEHR systems. The health IT industry is calling this trend "rip andreplace." Apparently there are needs, service requirements and functionality not being met by some of the existing EHR systems currently in use.Medical organizations that replace their existing EHR system state their reason for moving to a new solution was either due to a lack of needed functionality, lack of product flexibility, issues with customer support, or system implementation and integration failures.

The key to a successful EHR implementation, when replacing an existing platform, is to perform an evaluation by asking the right questions to understand if the problem is the system, the implementation, or both. Here are some questions to consider when performing this type of review: