Over 90% of all Respondents See EHRs Delivering Greater Visibility and Access to Information to Personalize Care and Achieve Better Resident Outcomes.
To better understand how senior living providers are meeting resident and family expectations, PointClickCare,the leading cloud-based software platform for the senior care market, along with LeadingAge CAST (Center for Aging Services Technologies), led a joint market assessment survey. The study, which was initiated in June 2015, reported that 66.7% of respondents believe investing in technology paves the way to achieving a competitive advantage in today’s market, making technology a top priority for them.
‘Senior care is an industry in transition, faced with new challenges and new opportunities unlike ever before,’ says Dave Wessinger, chief technology officer, PointClickCare. ‘What we are hearing from our customers, and what this latest study confirms, is that providers are feeling the impact of this shift and looking really closely at the role technology plays in helping them build sustainable businesses. At the core of their evaluations are electronic health record (EHR) platforms, which isn’t surprising with the increased focus on value-based payment models and the need to deliver and demonstrate quality outcomes.’
With technology making the top of the list, assisted living providers surveyed also shared that they are looking for ways to improve efficiency of staff, improve quality of care delivery and improve customer service. While there is almost unanimous agreement (more than 90% across all care settings) that EHR technology delivers greater visibility and access to information, fewer than half of assisted living respondents (48%) have invested in the technology, as opposed to Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) that have an EHR adoption rate close to 80%.
To that end, Majd Alwan, SVP of Technology, LeadingAge, and executive director at LeadingAge CAST believes that, ‘There is a disconnect for many providers on the significant role that technology can play in addressing the industry’s biggest challenges. As the demographic shift in the senior population unfolds, technology becomes necessary to drive efficiencies that leading senior care providers will require. Strategic IT planning is an essential differentiator for providers today, and we are encouraging LeadingAge members to not only invest in the technology itself, but also consider the strategic partnerships that will help gain and sustain market momentum.’
Additionally, other survey findings included: 95.7% of assisted living respondents believe referrals into their communities come from family or friends, and 63.8% shared that referrals through friends is the reason residents moved into their communities. With referrals being a large driver for new business, it’s important for providers to focus on ways to remain competitive, and an integrated technology platform is key in making this possible.
