AN INFORMATION SYSTEM TO IMPROVE HOME HEALTH CARE

BY THE YEAR 2000, TEN PERCENT OF ALL HEALTH CARE DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT ON HOME HEALTH CARE. MUCH OF THIS CARE WILL BE DELIVERED BY HOME HEALTH AIDES (HHA'S). THE CURRENT "TECHNOLOGY" FORCREATING HHA ASSIGNMENTS AND DOCUMENTING HHA ACTIVITIES IS HAND-WRITING. THIS METHOD RESULTS IN ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE NOT COMPREHENSIVE OR PRECISE ENOUGH TO MEET THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF HOME CARE PATIENTS, AND IN DOCUMENTATION THAT IS OFTEN INCOMPLETE AND LATE. THESE DEFICIENCIES CREATE CLINICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND BILLING PROBLEMS. AN HHA INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL BE DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS. SOFTWARE WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT WILL HELP NURSES PRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE AND PRECISE ASSIGNMENTS FOR HHA'S. THE SYSTEM WILL PRINT ASSIGNMENT SHEETS WITH CORRESPONDING BAR CODES NEXT TO EACH ASSIGNMENT. HHA'S WILL BRING THE SHEETS ON THEIR HOME VISITS AND, USING A PORTABLE BAR CODE READER, RECORD INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES. INFORMATION CAPTURED BY THE READERS WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO A STUDY COMPUTER WHICH WILL GENERATEREPORTS FOR CLINICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND BILLING PURPOSES. THE INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL BE ASSESSED TO DETERMING WHETHER IT PRODUCES MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND PRECISE HHA ASSIGNMENTS, AND MORE TIMELY AND MORE COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION THAN A HAND-WRITTEN METHOD, AND WHETHER IT PROVIDESAGENCY STAFF WITH BETTER ADMINISTRATIVE AND BILLING INFORMATION.