The Executive Suite: 6 Benefits of using an electronic visit verification app 

Technology is disrupting and transforming the health care industry, from wearable and implantable devices to computer-assisted coding systems and interoperable electronic health records systems. For the home health industry, electronic visit verification, or EVV, has been making waves and provides several benefits to clinical operations.

EVV is an electronic process that verifies care provider visits for personal or home health services. These electronic records track the types of services performed, date and time of visit, the location of the service and information about the service provider. EVV allows health care workers and caregivers to utilize mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and allows on-the-go access to the most up-to-date patient records, equaling overall better-quality care for patients.

EVV was mandated for home health service providers and reimbursements under Medicaid by the 21st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law in 2016. Home health care agencies have until Jan. 1, 2023, until they are required to have EVV in place for Medicaid reimbursements. While the mandates have created problems for some organizations, the good news is that EVV has shown to have many benefits for both health care organizations and patients. The right technology solution can help make the transition process simple, so that clinics and patients alike can experience the following six benefits of using EVV: 

Reduced Documentation Errors - Without EVV or access to mobile health records, caretakers often take notes, fill out forms and record information later. Anytime there are multiple steps involved or information is not recorded immediately, there is more room for error. EVV is essential for the most accurate patient records.
Easier Scheduling - Homecare appointments are often moved at the last minute. Utilizing a mobile app allows a caretaker to view the most up-to-date appointment information at any given time and set reminders about upcoming appointments. This reduces wasted commute time, no-shows and scheduling errors. 
More Accurate Provider Check-in and Check-out Times - The EVV mobile app automatically time stamps a caretaker’s check-in and checkout times and verifies if the caretaker arrived at the scheduled appointment time. This ensures accurate data for payroll, reimbursements and patient health records. 
Quick and Efficient Billing - Homecare billing is traditionally completed using paper forms that are then transcribed. This is time consuming, costly and unnecessary. EVV allows medical staff to enter their time and patient notes in real-time, which also reduces errors. Billing codes are uploaded instantly, with no processing time delays. 
Speedier Payments - A huge benefit associated with quick and efficient billing and time tracking is speedier payments. Most homecare agencies rely on reimbursements from the government, and this can be a long and tedious process. EVV automates and speeds up this procedure, simplifying and improving agency’s revenue cycle management, and allowing home health agencies to grow faster.
Improved Patient Outcomes - Ultimately, EVV equals less administrative time, less paperwork, and reduced errors associated with communication breakdowns. This creates a better work experience for homecare staff and better patient interactions and experience.

In addition, enabling caretakers to access the most up-to-date patient records and information and update it in real-time, helps create the best patient experience and communication possible, which positively impacts patient health outcomes.

Ineffective team communication has been found to be the root cause of approximately 66% of all medical errors. In addition, the root cause of the majority of malpractice claims is a breakdown of communication between the clinician and the patient. Easy and immediate access to records is the most important aspect of EVV. 

EVV also opens the door to more mobile use in other types of health care clinics and has applications in telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Any time new technology is mandated it can create pushback and a scramble in the industry, especially during these times when there are already strains placed on the industry by the pandemic. However, EVV is hugely beneficial and an important step in the right direction for mobile device adoption and remote access to patient information. It’s time to stop thinking of EVV as a checkmark and start thinking of it as an important and exciting innovation that will improve the health care industry as a whole.