Survey Reveals Nearly Half of Hospice Providers Are Uncertain They Would Be Able to Survive an Audit

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Optima Healthcare Solutions today published survey results that shed light on the challenges hospice providers face in meeting their compliance obligations. 46% of respondents showed a lack of full confidence in their ability to survive a federal audit without facing potential penalties, fines or loss of productivity that could financially impact their business. Similarly, 42% expressed a lack of full confidence in their ability to successfully respond to Additional Documentation Requests (ADRs), which are used by federal auditors to review hospice claims.

"The findings show that clinical documentation is a key area of vulnerability for many hospices," said Josh Pickus, CEO of Optima Healthcare Solutions. "Addressing this vulnerability requires taking a close look at the underlying problems that inefficient documentation is causing, and evaluating how technology, best practices and other approaches can reduce risk."

The survey also found that:

The majority of respondents say how they manage clinical documentation needs improvement. Weaknesses in their approach are negatively impacting many areas of their businesses, including:

• Clinician efficiency/productivity (82%)
• Speed of reimbursement (60%)
• Compliance with regulations (59%)

Most respondents experience issues that hinder their ability to provide complete and accurate documentation. These place an enormous burden on hospice clinicians and staff, causing:

• Clinicians to document after hours (97%)
• Documentation to be sent back for correction/completion (94%)
• Medicare claims to be reworked because they were rejected (64%)

Greater use of technology improves confidence levels. When hospice software is used to manage all main hospice functions (intake/referral, scheduling, documentation, quality and billing), the findings show that:

• 71% are "very confident" in their ability to respond to ADRs
• 68% are "very confident" in their ability to survive an audit

The independent survey of 174 hospice agencies of all sizes was conducted by Inquisitive Market Research on behalf of Optima Healthcare Solutions between June and July 2018. To read the full survey report, click here.

About Optima Healthcare Solutions

Optima Healthcare Solutions provides cloud-based solutions for post-acute care providers, including contract therapy companies, skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, outpatient therapy clinics and hospices. For over 25 years, Optima has led the industry with therapy management software, and today more than 11,000 sites of service rely on our full range of clinical, operational and billing solutions to increase business performance, ensure compliance and improve care for millions of patients every year. Meet us at optimahcs.com.

Media Contact:
Sharon Dratch
Optima Healthcare Solutions
[email protected] 
772.403.1200

SOURCE Optima Healthcare Solutions

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