In the world of home care, electronic visit verification is used to confirm the details of in-home visits. It holds caregivers accountable to their schedules, ensuring their work is being completed both on time and in its entirety. This means staff members are always properly compensated for their time, and patients always receive the services that were promised to them.
But that’s not all. EVV has plenty of knock-on benefits for agencies and patients alike, and in this blog, we’ll be breaking them down one by one.
What is Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)?
Caregivers typically interface with a mobile app to conduct the EVV process. The app sends all of the necessary visit information from their devices straight to their agency’s home care software.
Back in 2016, EVV was written into law by the 21st Century Cures Act. It mandates that Medicaid-funded personal care and home health services must be tracked electronically and according to the standards laid out in the Act. EVV supports the Act’s broader goal to enhance the quality of healthcare services and reduce fraudulent billing practices.
This legislation was passed at the federal level, but its implementation varies by state. Namely, states are divided into “open” and “closed” models. In open states, home health agencies have the flexibility to choose whichever EVV provider they prefer, whereas closed states must work with whichever vendor is selected by their healthcare system.
How Do EVV Systems Work in Home Care
As soon as caregivers arrive at a patient’s location, their interaction with EVV begins. This multi-step process includes:
- Checking In: Employees log into their EVV-enabled mobile app, which automatically time-stamps the beginning of their visit.
- Authentication & Identification: To verify their identity, caregivers input a password, code, or biometric information like a fingerprint scan or Face ID.
- Location Tracking: At this point, the GPS functionality comes into play, collecting real-time information about the caregiver’s whereabouts.
- Task Documentation: Caregivers enter detailed information about each task they complete while they are on-site at the patient’s home.
- Caregiver Check-Out: At the end of the session, caregivers clock out using the app, once again creating a timestamp and confirming all of the necessary services have been rendered.
Technology Behind EVV
The EVV process begins when a caregiver clocks into a visit using their mobile app. Most systems use GPS or other location-based technologies to confirm that caregivers are at the correct location. Location tracking only remains active until the moment the caregiver clocks out, so there is no risk of unapproved monitoring when they are off the clock.
Integration With Home Care Software
The main goal of home care software is to reduce an agency’s administrative burden by centralizing and digitizing disparate data. By integrating the visit tracking process into this multi-functional system, EVV plays a key role in helping agencies improve their operations.
For example, understanding how much time caregivers spend on the road between appointments can help agencies minimize travel time and maximize productivity through better assignments. Analyzing the length of each visit and whether tasks are being completed successfully can also help them allocate resources more effectively.
Key Benefits of EVV for Home Care Agencies
Agencies have plenty to gain from implementing EVV, from greater visibility into daily operations to a wealth of data to drive better decision-making.
Enhanced Compliance & Accuracy
Home care providers are bound by strict regulatory requirements regarding the administration of patient services, including the quality and safety of care, adherence to care plans, and standards laid out by Medicaid and Medicare. EVV systems ensure that each visit is documented according to these expectations and that care is provided as expected.
By automating the data capture process, EVV also reduces errors in billing and reporting. It verifies caregiver hours in real-time using GPS assistance, preventing clients from being overcharged and caregivers from being underpaid.
Improved Operational Efficiency
EVV eliminates the need for manual data entry and, therefore, the risk of human error. From the moment a caregiver clocks into an appointment, the software begins collecting visit verification and time-tracking information automatically. This relieves administrative burden by maintaining accurate documentation across the board.
As mentioned above, the travel and human resource data it collects can also be used to make many operational processes more efficient, such as scheduling, billing, and reporting.
Increased Transparency & Accountability
EVV is the most transparent way to gain insight into what caregivers are up to during their respective shifts – because when data capture is automated, there’s no room for inaccurate reporting, missed visits, or visits being cut short.
This rigorous documentation increases caregiver accountability. Ensuring each appointment is completed on time and in its entirety also boosts the quality of care patients receive.
How To Implement EVV in Your Home Care Agency
Ready to get set up with EVV? You’re just a couple of simple steps away from a successful operational revamp.
Evaluate & Choose the Right EVV Solution
The software selection process will look a little different depending on your location. While closed states will need to use whichever EVV solution is mandated by their state government, open states have the ability to choose their preferred platform.
Selecting a platform that integrates with your current home care toolkit means you can make the most of all the data you collect for EVV purposes. As mentioned above, this information can offer plenty of value when it comes to route optimization, resource allocation, and schedule management.
Train Your Team & Caregivers
Without staff buy-in, your EVV rollout is far less likely to be a success. That’s why caregiver training matters. Employees who understand the “why” and “how” behind a new software are far more likely to use it without pushback – and use it effectively.
Training both your administrative team and frontline employees is a must for preventing errors and ensuring proper usage, as well as facilitating collaboration between these two groups of stakeholders. All in all, this means a smoother transition and more efficient operations.
Simplify Your EVV Home Care Management With AxisCare
EVV is more than just a government mandate. It’s a way for agencies to hold their caregivers accountable, ensure their clients are receiving the services they signed up for, accurately track employee hours, and leverage large quantities of visit data to make better operational decisions in the future.
AxisCare is an all-in-one home care software platform that includes robust EVV functionalities – including the highest-ranked caregiver mobile app in the industry. Book your one-on-one demo today.
