The Cures Act mandated that all states implement an Electronic Visit Verification system for home healthcare. Certain programs have been postponed, and some states have been granted waivers, but this is just delaying the inevitable. All home visits will be subject to EVV at some point. The sooner you can implement your systems, the smoother the transition will be.
So, what can you do now to prepare (assuming you haven’t already had to submit EVV data to your state)? First, know your state’s rules and timeline. Armed with this knowledge you need to assess your technology and EVV readiness. How does your field staff document visit information currently? If you are on paper it is time to join the 21st century. If you currently use an electronic solution, this is where it gets interesting.
Many EMR software systems offer what they call “mobile” and “electronic” charting options. These options heavily vary between providers, making it essential to ensure you get what you need. If an EMR offers a mobile application that ONLY enables clock in/clock out for EVV purposes, this means your staff must use two different applications and perhaps two devices to complete their work. If an EMR captures EVV info from a laptop or tablet, you must equip the device with a data plan and location services (not all devices have these). Neither of these provides a truly scalable or affordable solution.
A fully integrated mobile app for all field staff visits offers the best support and capabilities for your business. The ability to capture EVV, clock in/clock out, and complete all documentation in one place improves employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention. What is great about mobile app charting is that EVV requires staff to do absolutely nothing. The device already captures time, geo-location, etc. as part of the normal operation, so no additional work or training is required.
Cubhub was an early adopter of mobile technology and has set the standard for Pediatric Home Healthcare EMR software. Our mobile app does everything mentioned above, in addition to allowing HIPAA-secure communications, order management, and family collaboration. Our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) solution allows clinicians to use the device they already own and know how to use it. This approach massively reduces training and eliminates device costs and management. If you need to upgrade your current EMR to prepare for EVV, talk to one of our experts by setting up a demo today.