Whether you’re just starting a home healthcare agency or have been in business for years, there are several features to consider when evaluating home healthcare software. Below are the top ten features to look for in an HHC software:

1. Admissions Management. Look for software that can quickly admit and process new patients, as well as maintain an up-to-date history of previous patient episodes.

two. Billing. There is no need to hire a billing consultant when you choose home health care software with a built-in billing module. Make sure the software supports Medicare, Medicaid, Wellcare, and private payers.

3. Planning. Most software packages include scheduling, but not all automatically schedule caregivers based on their availability. The chosen software should automatically take into account travel time, vacation days and sick leave.

Four. Personalized payroll system. Look for a software package that offers a customized payroll system so you can easily change pay rates, payroll methods (ie, pay per visit, hourly, or unit), location fees, and third-party providers.

5. Point of attention. Some software providers offer this POC feature and some do not. It is a very useful feature that allows your caregivers to enter visit notes through a web browser and send them to your practice. The Point of Care feature should work on all handheld devices and communicate with the main software.

6. POC 485 forms. The software must be able to print your 485 forms on a standard printer.

7. OASIS Management. Corrections and inactivations must be supported in this module, as well as the validation and electronic submission capabilities of OASIS.

8. Management of outliers. With this tool, you can proactively manage and monitor the impact of outliers. Most outlier modules offer a PPS calculator.

9. Reports. When you’re evaluating the reporting feature in your prospective software, ask how many reports are available. Also find out if the reports, especially those of your patients, are translated into different languages.

10 NarrativeBuilder. This feature is not offered in most software packages, but it is extremely convenient. The reason is that instead of having to type standard answers, you can choose answers from a library. Look for a builder with a search function and one that allows you to create your own responses.

In addition to the above features, you’ll want a user-friendly Admissions module that allows you to easily process the admission and discharge of patients.

When evaluating the technology behind the software, make sure it doesn’t require a digital certificate, modem, or VPN to submit claims to Medicare. Also, choose software that is web-based.

Ask the software company if they provide free training and technical support. Also ask how much the setup fees are. Lastly, request a demo so you can see all the features in action.