Hospices see better quality and operational efficiency as their greatest return to technological investments in three key areas. But several unknowns and challenges exist in the journey towards a deeper technological integration.
Today’s palliative care managers need a good understanding of the variable and changing progress of technology that can have an impact on their business sectors and their ability to support patients and staff, said Bivek Pathek, information director at Empath Health.
The pace of the evolutionary technological landscape can be essential for the sustainability of hospices, because growing demand on the workforce, said Pathek. The hospices and non -profit care provider for non -profit based in Florida operates 17 affiliates, including Trustbridge, Tidewell Hospice and Suncoast Hospice, among others. Understanding where and how to direct technological investments requires strategic planning and special attention, he said.
“Technological progress and solutions are filled as soon as challenges and opportunities arise,” Pathek told Hospice News in an email. “Keeping your eyes on the overview and focusing on the means of using this progress will continue to lead us where we want to go as an organization. (Implementation) takes an investment in time, money, resources and withdraw our clinicians from the field for training. It is not a decision taken lightly but with thought, knowing that the (return on investment (king) is enormous. “
3 emerging technologies
Predictive analysis, remote monitoring of patients and therapies of virtual reality are three emerging technologies which are becoming more and more widespread among hospices, according to an Axxess report Shared with Hospice News. The report questioned thousands of home health professionals, hospice, palliative and home care at the national level of their technological investments in 2025.
More than half (53%) of respondents in the survey indicated the emphasis on technological investments in staff training and commitment tools. OS coordination technologies were a second -point priority among 47% of participants. About 27% of respondents have prioritized predictive analyzes and the management of patient data, while 29% declared emphasis on remote monitoring of patients, remote charters and diagnostic investments.
“Technology reshapes home care like never before, with progress opening the way to the provision of processing care,” said the report. “Among these, artificial intelligence (AI) is distinguished as a key opportunity to meet persistent operational challenges. However, many organizations express uncertainty about the effective integration of AI into their workflows and patient care. »»
The biggest royals of technological investments
Technology has increasingly reached the foreground as a means for hospices to increase access, improve quality and stimulate productivity and staff satisfaction, among other factors.
Accentcare, Agape Care Group and St. Croix Hospice are among the suppliers who recently invest predictive analyzes for Win a wider goal understanding in both Patient needs and quality measures.
Until now, technological investment has borne fruit in terms of Improved resultsAccording to Ashley Arnold, main quality vice-president at St. Croix Hospice. The palliative care provider whose head office has Minnesota has more than 75 locations in the Midwest.
Although technological progress can be accompanied by a multitude of financial considerations, an important element of weighing costs and risks is to determine whether these investments lead to better quality for patients and staff, said Arnold.
“We are very satisfied with the way technology – in concert with the judgment of caregivers – has had a positive impact on our care and our commitments for patients, as well as the ability to allow the organization to work at Summit of their skills, “Arnold told Hospice News in an email. “While we have evolved in predictive modeling and advanced analyzes to help increase the judgment of clinicians, we will continue to improve patient engagement and palliative care experiences for patients and families.”
Technological improvements have become a significant part of support for communication and staff collaboration through the interdisciplinary model for the provision of palliative care, said Arnold. Technological progress has been the absence of an improvement in retention and operational efficiency.
Patient monitoring systems are also part of the overall operational image of palliative care companies, said Arnold. The Vigil Travel Hospice program is an example of how the supplier uses technology to help identify the most vulnerable patients who need more intense care. In addition, voice technology to the text of the Hospice St. Croix to reduce clinical documentation time and administrative charges.
The integration of patient data platforms has contributed to making information in real time accessible in several disciplines, said Arnold. The considerations of using St. Croix Hospice technology depend on how these investments can help stimulate operational efficiency, as well as on the way in which they improve compliance, commitment and quality of patients, A -Ali said.
“We have found that this technology is reflected in a double victory for reducing the documentation time of clinicians while improving the quality of documentation,” said Arnold. “We use technology to help reduce the burden of administrative tasks on caregivers, improve the commitment of our caregivers with patients, improve quality and compliance and be more effective with operations. It is essential that we understand that each element of technology meets these objectives before implementation and that we constantly measure the results. »»
The use of virtual reality has also developed in the hospice space, with organizations such as The Elizabeth Hospice,, Hospice Emmanuel,, Hospice Savannah,, Hospice in southern Maine And Hospice Tidewell Deposit of these technologies in recent years.
Some hospices have found that patients receiving virtual reality therapies reported improved experience and quality of life. Other suppliers have taken advantage of virtual reality to help on board new employees and offer current training possibilities, considering improving retention as a significant return on investment.
Virtual reality technology can improve patient and staff engagement, according to Pathek. Although Tidewell Hospice has since Sunset the virtual reality system, other artificial intelligence programs (AI) can be promising in future Empath technological investment, he said.
A large key for hospices to navigate is the speed with which technology is evolving, and the provision of care and the operational challenges associated with this rapid pace, he said.
“We must continue to match this change and assess these systems and their impact on the patients we serve,” Pathek told Hospice News. “We are investing in the coordination of AI -focused care and predictive analysis to support personalized patients of patients and improve results. The return on investment is enormous when you are looking for long -term solutions. »»
Prospects for hospice technology
According to Pathek, technology has once foot in sustainability and growth potential of hospices. Empath Health has quadrupled growth through its business sectors in the past five years. Technological integration has been part of its expansion, helping staff and the operational integration processes of newly acquired assets and clinical capacity balancing, he said.
In the future, Empath is currently seeking to increase the automation technology of robotic processes (RPA) and its AI programs to optimize clinical workflows and income cycle management, while guaranteeing efficiency and efficiency and Quality.
“Given our growth in recent years, we have always integrated new processes and, of course, new technologies. For the future, Empath actively invests in the predictive analysis of AI, optimization of care coordination and the stratification of population health risks to further improve palliative care and palliative care, ” declared Bivek. “By 2026, we aim to set up personalized care plans, voice recognition technology and mature predictive analysis capacities, ensuring that we continue to open the way in data -oriented care centered on the patient. “
Navigating in the future of the use of technology in palliative care will be accompanied by many financial challenges alongside operational considerations, said Arnold.
Hospices must also establish ways to measure how their technological investments take place and how they can implement guarantees that protect both staff and patients, she added.
“Trying to predict the future of technology in the hospice space is extremely difficult,” Arnold told Hospice News. “Technology is a very powerful tool as long as you are honest in your deployment and monitoring.”