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Building a Referral Process that Delights the Customer

In the world of home care and hospice, the most successful teams have learned to live by "It's not about us, it's about them."  This outward focus on the customer, coupled with high-quality services, is one hallmark for differentiating a modern post-acute care agency from its competition.

• Achieving accuracy and compliance in the referral process
• Maintaining a sense of urgency and assisting families with barriers to care
• Executing agency-wide customer service procedures and continually monitoring progress 

Accuracy in Referrals

Without the correct information at the time of referral, agencies may be compromising their regulatory compliance. Key factors include the order for care, a certificate of terminal illness (for hospice), consents and other legal documents. To ensure quality of care, additional information is helpful such as the patient's recent history and physical examination, medications, and equipment needs. It is also important to address the patient and family expectations for care. From a financial perspective, accuracy pertains to insurance verification/pre-certification, face-to-face requirements, and consent information.

Northcutt says attention to accuracy also affects business development activities. "Agencies should develop a process to evaluate reasons why a patient was ultimately not admitted for care, information about referral sources, how patients/families heard about their organizations, and the impact of each team member's activities," she explains.