Virtuate

Wireless Homecare Solutions

Posted on 06 January 2009

Although somewhat dated, I just came across this paper by the Venture Development Corporation sponsored by Research In Motion on Wireless Home Care Solutions: Addressing the Quality of Service and Performance Gap.

From the Executive Summary:

If executed well, wireless home care solutions can significantly enhance an organization’s quality of service and profitability, not to mention providing a defensible source of competitive differentiation.  So why aren’t more organizations investing in these solutions?  Why does there continue to be a general reluctance or hesitancy in automating home care service processes?

At issue are the role of home care service providers within the health care sector and the approaches taken to automate service processes.  Yet the evidence of the benefits of homecare service automation, including improved quality, efficiency and safety, continues to mount.  VDC conducted in-depth interviews with a broad cross-section of home care service providers and wireless solution providers, many with several generations of home care service automation experience.  According to our research, home care service organizations can achieve an average net benefit of up to $15,000 per full-time equivalent (FTE) per year by deploying wireless home care solutions.

It is, however, important to note that these represent optimal benefits, which can vary based on factors such as service provider acceptance, level of solution functionality, reimbursement models (capitated vs. fee for service) and the quality of implementation.  Furthermore, the value proposition of wireless in home care is multi-faceted and revolves as much around the improved quality of life of individual service providers as it does around potential productivity enhancement.  In this paper VDC will examine the opportunity for wireless solutions in the home care sector in North America and provide recommendations on best practices to follow to maximize ROI and reduce the risks that home care service providers face when making wireless investments.

And these are their recommendations which I will not go into and instead point you back to the paper:

1. Avoid multiple, non-integrated information systems.
2. Understand the distribution of benefits received from wireless home care investments.
3. Clearly identify issues to be addressed/benefits gained through wireless solution.
4. Prepare for change.