NHPCO NewsLine Summer 2021 - 21

Text messaging, while it may be more " instant " if the
right person is reached at the right time, is often not
secure, leaving the provider at risk for HIPAA
violations. In addition, if the text goes unnoticed
because the recipient is not looking at the work
phone, it will not be escalated to another team
member and therefore can be missed.
Email, also not secure, is the least " instant "
communication method and given the sheer amount
of email sent and received during the day can be
easily missed.
There are better options available such as secure,
real-time group messaging solutions that include the
care team, family caregiver and external partners,
but the incentive to upgrade to this communication
technology has not been sufficient, until now.
Real-Time Communication Translates to
More Patients and Grateful Families
In an age where technology satisfies consumers'
need for instant communication, family caregivers
expect the same from their hospice providers.
Eight out of 10 family caregivers indicated that they
would (1) choose a hospice and (2) give a hospice
better survey scores if they employed more
advanced communication technologies that resulted
in real-time, two-way communication.
communication barriers to facilitate real-time
communication with family caregivers in the mode
they prefer. Unfortunately, according to the Citus
Health / Home Health Care News Family Engagement
Report, today only 26% of providers are satisfied with
their current technology investment.
The most likely reason for dissatisfaction is that
providers invested in technology, such as electronic
medical record (EMR) systems, that are focused on
communication with clinical staff and office staff
but have neglected their most important audience
- family caregivers. As a result, their technology
investment is not improving the family caregiver
experience.
If providers are not satisfied and family caregivers
are not satisfied, the time to change is now.
Hospice providers must adopt the right virtual care
technology and process to meet the most important
family caregiver needs. The top five reported needs
provide the roadmap for successfully optimizing
family caregiver satisfaction.
Roadmap for Success: Family Caregiver
Communication
Immediately Receiving a Response
to an Emergency or Urgent
Question.
Optimizing Family Caregiver Satisfaction
Starts Here
To better serve patients and families, hospices must
make family caregivers a high priority. The first step is
to invest in technology that breaks down
While phone or text are typically used in an
emergency, this research shows that family
caregivers do not always receive an immediate
response. A timely response can obviously make the
difference between a family caregiver allowing the
hospice agency to solve a problem instead of calling
911. Advanced solutions that are device-agnostic and
employ auto-escalation technology to ensure that
the appropriate person receives and can
immediately respond to an emergency, decrease the
likelihood of an unnecessary ER visit or
hospitalization and resulting revocation of the
hospice benefit.
Newsline / Summer 2021 21
NHPCO NewsLine Summer 2021

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