Home health and hospice care continue to evolve with surges in demand for nurse triage services, intensifying pressures for value-based care, persistent staffing shortages, and escalating operational costs. Despite these challenges, nurse triage is a core link between patients and quality healthcare delivery.
Today, tech-enabled nurse triage services offer an especially viable solution to these challenges, supporting both immediate operational needs and long-term strategic growth for many home health and hospice organizations.
The Current State of Home Health and Hospice Care
Home health and hospice care are undergoing a significant transformation, and patient demand for in-home care services is higher than ever. At the same time, value-based care is reshaping care delivery and organizational reimbursement. Although these care models ultimately help to improve patient care, they also present their own challenges, like adjusting existing practices or systems to meet these new requirements.
Healthcare staffing shortages compound the strain on staff, as “triage nurses are required to prioritize patient care, [while] taking educational programs, providing a safe environment as well as [continue to build] interpersonal qualifications needed to fulfill this role”(NLM). As clinicians and other healthcare professionals continue to grapple with heavy workloads and burnout symptoms–finding new ways to address this shift is critical to ensuring the sustainability and quality of home health and hospice care.
Immediate Benefits of Tech-Enabled Nurse Triage Services
Tech-enabled nurse triage services offer immediate benefits for home health and hospice that revolutionize patient care delivery. By providing efficient, 24/7 clinical triage support, these services significantly reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, preventable 911 calls, and “overcrowding in emergency departments, allowing critically ill patients to receive services in a timely manner” (NIH). Patients receive quick guidance and reassurance from trained triage nurses, assuring their care needs are addressed, regardless of the hour. This not only improves patient outcomes but also strengthens the patient-provider relationship, laying the foundation for continued patient engagement practices.
Advanced technology platforms such as CareXM’s Patient Experience Platform enhance patient satisfaction by facilitating seamless communication and access to quality care. Patients receive individualized attention from providers in real time, building trust and confidence. Our tech-enabled nurse triage services streamline communication channels, workflows, and care management tasks among caregivers, boosting efficiency and reducing wait times for callbacks. Features like predictive scheduling, patient call analytics, and remote monitoring with patient engagement further optimize staffing bottlenecks, ensuring that nurses are neither burdened nor underutilized.
Strategic Advantages for Long-Term Growth:
Facilitates Scalable Growth with Business Intelligent Tools.
Tech-enabled nurse triage facilitates scalable growth despite staffing challenges by harnessing the power of business intelligence tools. Patient call coding data allows organizations to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and staffing levels as they analyze data on patient demand, acuity levels, and staffing availability. This ensures that care delivery remains efficient and effective even in the face of changing demands, helping organizations feasibly scale their operations while still maintaining high standards of care.
Supports Value-Based Care Initiatives.
Nurse triage supports the objectives of value-based care by driving better patient outcomes and experiences. It leverages data-driven insights and automation so healthcare providers can identify negative impacts on quality early, intervene proactively, and personalize care plans to meet individual needs. This not only improves patient outcomes but also enhances quality scores, aligning organizations favorably with value-based reimbursement models.
Reduces Overall Cost of Healthcare.
Nurse triage is pivotal in reducing healthcare costs by preventing unnecessary hospital visits and leveling out staff. By providing timely and appropriate care guidance to patients, nurse triage services can redirect individuals away from costly emergency room visits towards more appropriate care settings. When staffing levels are based on patient demand and volume, organizations can minimize unnecessary labor expenses while ensuring that patients receive the best type of care when they need it.
As healthcare organizations embrace tech-enabled nurse triage as a core component of their care delivery model, they set themselves up for success in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.
Case Studies and Success Stories: Goshen Health
With the help of CareXM, Goshen Health, a renowned 3,000-employee Magnet Hospital, proved that effective experience management, home health, and hospice programs not only survive but thrive–even during the most intensive situations. Here’s a closer look at Goshen Health’s action plan and the remarkable results they achieved within the first year:
- 70% Reduction in Overtime Expenses: By optimizing its workforce alongside CareXM, Goshen Health achieved a remarkable reduction in overtime expenses. The considerate amount of savings allowed the hospital to invest in other areas that needed support the most. They were able to hire full-time case managers, as well as dedicated evening and weekend staff who ensured around-the-clock patient support.
- Clinician Peace of Mind: The restructuring efforts and improved triage system gave clinicians the peace of mind needed to tackle the overwhelming number of patients. Best of all, they could “unplug” and disconnect from work, still confident that their patients received quality care during non-office hours.
- Leadership in Employee Engagement: Goshen’s firm dedication to improving the clinician experience had a profound impact on employee engagement across the board. Their home health and hospice sector set the standard for emotional commitment, inspiring other departments to follow suit and work on behalf of Goshen’s other goals.
- Significant Reduction in After-Hours Calls: With a streamlined triage system in place, Goshen Health experienced a significant decrease in after-hours calls. This allowed for proactive patient management, ensuring that each patient received timely care and support–even over the phone.
One of the pivotal steps in Goshen Health’s transformation was its commitment to partnering with a provider offering a care coordination platform with business intelligence for healthcare–CareXM. This collaboration allowed Goshen to streamline after-hours triage and leverage technology to enhance patient care and clinician support. With a robust triage system in place, the hospital staff could focus on what mattered most—proactive case management and improved patient outcomes.
With our whitepaper, 5 Best Practices for Home Health and Hospice, you can learn how to reduce burnout and strengthen your triage fundamentals.
Looking for Tech-Enabled Triage Services? We’re Here to Help.
CareXM is the kind of experienced clinical partner you can count on to deliver the help you need to elevate your patient and caregiver experiences. Our mission is to help our partners effortlessly anticipate and respond to patient needs with triage technology backed by our on-demand triage team. Whether you need after-hours triage, our cost-saving hybrid triage solutions, or in-house triage call center infrastructure, we help you flex and extend your care so you reach patients in the moments they need help the most. From home health and hospice to health systems and more, CareXM will transform your patient approach to lower operating costs.