Having Ears on the Ground: Why Listening To Providers Matters for the Future of Home Care Technology

By Brandy Sparkman-Beierle, chief clinical officer, Homecare Homebase.

The rising cost of in-facility healthcare, an aging population, and a growing preference for receiving care at home have prompted the home-based care industry to excel. Traditionally, nursing homes were considered the best option for long-term elderly care by healthcare organizations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has since altered this perception, introducing notable benefits and growing demand for home-based care.

However, there is a shortage of in-home caregiving aides and clinicians. This is prompting many home care agencies to adopt end-to-end tech solutions to help streamline daily tasks and caregiver duties. But creating technology for the sake of technology won’t solve these problems.

To recruit quality talent and support existing caregivers, it’s vital to ensure their feedback is built into the design of the software. It needs to be intentional with the end user in mind. This undertaking starts with listening to the people on the front lines, the ones whom the technology directly impacts. Here’s why collaboration between software developers, caregivers, and providers during the product design process matters:

1. Practical Application and Caregiver Feedback

Designing software for healthcare professionals without their feedback or including them in early user testing is simply impractical. Leveraging clinical experience provides a deeper understanding of the software’s impact on patient care that only those working directly with patients can understand. This unique perspective empowers them to identify inefficiencies in existing processes. By working together, caregivers and providers can pinpoint areas where technology can automate tasks and seamlessly integrate them into daily routines.

Product development teams with clinical expertise add an extra layer of understanding. They possess a deep knowledge of the needs, challenges, and treatment plans different patient populations face. They bridge the communication gap, translating caregiver and provider feedback from the language of healthcare into actionable insights that developers can easily grasp and implement.

Software developers must also include providers and caregivers in the testing process to ensure its functionality and usability, as well as identifying any possible challenges that may need to be fixed before a product’s rollout. Providers can identify specific areas for improvement in clinical practices and discover unexpected uses for the product, helping to resolve issues before a broader release.

2. Building a Trustworthy Foundation

When caregivers and providers are actively involved from the beginning, they become invested partners, but this can only be achieved through continuous user feedback so the software is prepared to change as the market inevitably shifts. They understand the product’s purpose and value, encouraging enthusiastic endorsement within their agencies. This fosters user adoption and builds industry-wide credibility for the software. As a result, developers gain invaluable user insights, and the healthcare community receives a solution designed with their specific needs in mind and is applicable in a real-world setting.

3. Eliminating Costly Missteps

No tech developer wants to create a product that nobody wants, or that cannot be integrated into existing workflows. By skipping caregiver and provider input, developers risk creating inefficient software that misses the mark entirely. Collaboration during the design phase helps identify and avoid these pitfalls. By actively listening to providers from the start, developers can create a product that truly aligns with caregiver and patient needs, saving time, money, and dissatisfaction.

Fostering Enduring Partnerships

Software development is a shared and ongoing journey with intricacies that should be tested and updated regularly. To ensure provider feedback is woven into the very fabric of the product, involve them from the outset. Gather insights through surveys and focus groups, keep them engaged during pilot programs, and continuously solicit their thoughts.

This invaluable input will guide product iterations, leading to refined solutions. Comprehensive training and support upon launch will further ensure successful implementation. Both parties should actively contribute ideas – tech vendors must continuously update features based on user feedback, and providers should feel empowered to suggest improvements.

Redefining the Future of Home-Based Care

The future of home-based care is here, and it’s not just about a singular innovation. As we look to use technology responsibly and in a way that enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them, it’s clear that cultivating a powerful, mutually beneficial partnership between developers and those at the heart of care delivery is mission-critical.

Through collaborative effort and strategy, we can design solutions that empower caregivers, optimize workflows, and, ultimately, revolutionize in-home patient care. This is not merely about achieving growth; it’s about crafting a future where exceptional and dignified care flourishes within the comfort of a patient’s home.