Now more than ever home and community-based care organizations are looking to modernize their businesses. In doing so, they’re faced with the daunting challenge of selecting a technology partner to support evolving regulations, an ever-changing landscape and the needs of staff, clients, family members and patients.

What is the most critical component when evaluating a technology solution? The answer is simple, it’s selecting a home and community-based care software that will embrace a true partnership.

A technology vendor does not immediately make a technology partner. A vendor simply sells a product. A partner embraces collaboration, innovation, communication, transparency, flexibility and true customer service to support agencies as they evolve, diversify and scale. The right technology company will work through due diligence upfront and demonstrate a vested interest by discussing long term goals, strategic initiatives and future enhancements that will exceed expectations well beyond implementation.

Here are some key indicators to know you’ve found a winning technology partner:

Rich Data Insights: A technology partner will be well-versed in making data work for your agency. The winning system should be designed with AI and rich data insights, capture real-time VBP data, track performance management, align reporting needs, and incorporate operational and predictive analytics so your agency can make informed decisions on patient care. The platform should be advanced enough to offer KPIs to track on-time client visits, client satisfaction, employee retention, billing and more.

Features and Functionality: A winning partner will have embedded features and functionality to streamline daily operations. The most critical feature is an open API with an established interoperability ecosystem enabling you to integrate with third-party partners. The solution you select should have built in measures for infectious disease control, contact tracing, virtual visits and family, patient and caregiver portals to optimize communication through our current landscape. A custom form builder is critical for flexibility to meet the various requirements for each state and payor. A solution with a BI tool enables manipulation of raw data and supports your agency for optimal success. Finally, look for a partner with a device agnostic mobile application and auto sync capabilities offering the ability to document in non-connected modes. This feature helps maintain real time data in rural areas.

Committed to Innovation: A true technology partner will future-proof their product by investing in extensive R&D support. Look for technology providers that take risks on innovation and proactively align with the demands of the industry. These are trend setting, innovative, thought leading partners that have robust, intelligent, analytical teams and consultants to ensure their solution is prepared to handle the future needs of home care.

Dedicated Customer Support: A winning technology partner will align dedicated customer support that personally knows your team. Customer support teams should be strategic and customized to the specifications of your agency based on size, scope and complexities. True partners will produce a hands-on customer success plan to guide you through data migration and implementation with ease and assign a post implementation team to support you well beyond implementation.

Stakeholder Consideration: A home care software partner should understand the priorities within an agency based on roles and responsibilities. All stakeholders should feel equally supported throughout the vetting process. Whether the priority is cost savings, elevated productivity, streamlined implementation, back office reporting or ease-of-use for front-line staff, all stakeholders need to be part of the process.

Full Continuum of Care: As home care agencies continue to diversify it’s critical to work with a partner that can support multiple lines of business. Agencies are differentiating into acute adult day programs, behavioral health, PD, PDN and complex pediatric services. Partners that combine both clinical and non-clinical data in a single, real time platform enable insightful care plan tasks, interventions and goal setting. A platform that manages multiple lines of business empowers agencies to deliver the best experience for interdisciplinary caregivers and clients via web and mobile applications.

When you select a technology partner you should feel as if you’re joining a family invested in the success of your staff, patients, providers and family members. You should feel confident that this partner is innovative and can support your agency for years to come.

The AlayaCare team takes partnership to heart. We would be happy to connect you with one of our agency partners who’ve experienced the search for the perfect technology partner. Get in touch to find out what we can do for you.