Choosing The Best Home Health Agency Software

By Madeline Finch


The first step to picking the right home health agency software is an evaluation of what your business needs. There are many systems that have a large number of features, but only you can decide what is critical to your daily needs. Once you have an idea of the features that would be most beneficial, you may set both a monthly and yearly budget to keep your searches within the company financially affordable range.

Setting a budget helps keep the system evaluation in perspective. Without a serious budget to consider, it is easy to become mesmerized by the various features that each software provider offers. Having a budget in place will help you limit your choices to what really meets your needs and fits your business practices. Some flexibility will be required in the beginning if you are not familiar with industry prices and standard features.


All-inclusive systems may be too much. When you list the features you need, you may find systems that include much more than you require. The balancing act requires that you compare the same features on each system. By comparing to all-inclusive systems, you can get an idea of the cost savings from one system to the next.

Many systems have seat licenses. These user licenses are used when someone is logged into the system. If you have four seat licenses and seven employees, only four will be able to log in at the same time. This may not be a problem since not everyone will use the system at the same time. If you find you need more licenses, you can usually increase your subscription.

Many providers have developed web based systems. There are several benefits to this type of system, including a reduction in your technical staffing needs. Since the system is hosted by the provider, they are responsible for upgrades and maintenance releases. This is also helpful when you have employees that work from home or in mobile locations.

Using mobile applications allows you to eliminate paperwork. Using smart phones and tablet computers, your mobile staff will be able to access client records, update information, and even order supplies without having to submit paperwork. Another advantage is live updates on client scheduling. If someone has to cancel their home visit, the staff member can be alerted automatically rather than driving to the house and finding no one at home.

The most important part of any business system is the billing or accounting feature. This part has to handle patient or client billing, supply orders, bill payment, and provide good reports for management. A robust system may also include payroll. It does not matter whether the overall system is web based or installed internally, the accounting system needs to be able to integrate and handle all the business finances in order to keep from being overwhelmed.

As the market for home health agency software grows, so will the number of systems available. There are usually standard features, but to make the best purchase decision you must start with evaluating your company needs and create a budget. Some technology features, such as mobile applications, will increase the cost but will save money by reducing the need for staff to handle large amounts of paperwork.




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