Home-based care providers who can provide interoperability with agency and referral partners have a competitive advantage, says a recent guest column in McKnight’s Senior Living.

“Charting a course toward interoperability in home-based care” cites a 2020 interoperability survey sponsored by MatrixCare, a LeadingAge Gold Partner with CAST Focus. The survey found 74% of referring providers are likely to change post-acute care (PAC) partners to one that better meets their interoperability standards. That number has risen from 60% in 2019.

In addition, 79% of respondents said they are dissatisfied with their EHRs’ capabilities, which points to a gap in how their systems currently support true interoperability.

Guest column author Nick Knowlton suggests home-based care providers address their interoperability shortcomings by talking with referral partners and EHR vendors to make sure their capabilities align.

Knowlton is the vice president of strategic initiatives at ResMed, where he works closely with MatrixCare’s home- and facility-based care platforms on interoperability and partnership strategy. MatrixCare is a wholly owned subsidiary of ResMed.

“The ability to share and accept patient data, signed documents, visit notes, and medication information with just a few clicks makes physicians’ jobs—and their relationships with PAC providers—that much easier,” he wrote. Open communication and automatic updates enable referral partners to follow their patients’ care journey well beyond discharge, he noted. With the right electronic health record (EHR) partner, this scenario can be a reality.

Knowlton recommends home-based care organizations determine if their referral partners’ needs and expectations match up with their EHR vendor. The right technology partner should have scalable, high-performing infrastructure in place that organizations can turn on to start using now, he wrote.

A final recommendation is to choose an EHR vendor that can connect to DirectTrust, CommonWell Health Alliance and Carequality, and similar networks and frameworks.  

2021 Collaborative Care HIT Virtual Summit

Home-based care has taken on a critical role during the pandemic. For more information on pandemic lessons learned and new approaches to care, be sure to participate in the 2021 Collaborative Care HIT Virtual Summit, June 8-10, which will feature several interoperability showcase demonstrations and case studies.

The summit will focus on the role technology plays in managing population health in crises across the continuum of care and the whole collaborative care eco-system, including pre-acute, acute care, LTPAC, payers, and solution providers. Be sure to check out the interoperability product demonstrations. Register today!