Why In-Home is Becoming More Popular for Outpatient Care

Why In-Home is Becoming More Popular for Outpatient Care

Not too long ago, if you wanted outpatient PT, OT, or speech for your patient, you would refer them to an outpatient clinic. They would then get on a waiting list and be seen at some future date. The other option was home health, for which a patient must be deemed eligible by being: 

  • Homebound; 
  • In need of skilled yet intermittent nursing, PT, OT, or SLP care; and
  • Under the care of a physician.

By only providing two options (home health and outpatient/in-clinic care), patients who had difficulty leaving the house due to transportation complications, pain, schedule conflicts, and other factors had trouble accessing the rehab they needed. This gap in care has now been filled by outpatient in-home care or "concierge" PT, OT, and SLP services.

But why did outpatient in-home become a popular option for rehab services?

1. Medicare guidelines changed

In the past few years, Medicare guidelines have changed significantly, focusing more on PDGM and Value-Based Care. The newer guidelines aim to enhance access to services for a larger number of patients. Among the many outcomes of these changes are the assurance of meeting Medicare guidelines and the facilitation of discharge for non-homebound patients to outpatient clinics. 

This is where the FeldCare Direct network of clinicians comes in. This network provides patients with greater access to clinicians who provide outpatient care, giving patients the option to receive care in their own homes. Greater access plays a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive the necessary support and attention during their transition to outpatient care. 

2. After COVID, patients became used to remote/in-home services. 

During 2020 and 2021, many patients became used to remote medical services and in-home services. The convenience of staying home for medical care remains something that many patients seek, particularly if they have recently worked with home health providers.

3. After COVID, many clinics and clinicians adapted to providing remote/in-home services.

It's not just patients who have become used to in-home care. Many PTs, OTs, and SLPs now have experience with providing both remote and in-home care. Before 2020, most clinicians worked in clinics and hospitals, with some more entrepreneurial spirits making their way into providing in-home care. But now, it's become far more usual to help a patient in their home.

4. Wait lists at clinics can be months long, and a concierge service can provide faster service.

Many clinics have long wait times, making it difficult to provide immediate rehab. When patients go with outpatient in-home, they are more likely to access a PT, OT, or SLP within the week. This increased access to rehab professionals significantly improves patient outcomes.

5. More clinicians have signed up to provide these services, which means more specialties are available to outpatient in-home patients.

As more patients utilize outpatient in-home care, more clinicians have discovered that they can provide these services. This greater pool of OTs, PTs, and SLPs means that a wider variety of specialties are now available to outpatient in-home patients, making the service even more popular. 

Some of the specialties you will find with PTs, OTs, and SLPs providing concierge in-home patient care include: 

  • ALS
  • Aphasia (cognitive)
  • Aquatic therapist
  • Assistive Technologies (ATP)
  • Autism
  • Cardiac
  • CDT
  • Diabetes (CDE)
  • Dysphagia-qualified
  • Environmental Modification
  • Geriatrics
  • Hand Therapy
  • LSVT BIG (Parkinson's)
  • Lymphedema
  • Neuro
  • Ortho
  • OCS (Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist)
  • PAM-certified
  • Pediatrics
  • Vestibular

With an ever-changing medical industry, patients, clinicians, and referrers (doctors, discharge planners, and others) are also changing and adapting. If you have a patient you believe would be the right fit for outpatient in-home, call (818) 538-5880 or email intake@feldcaredirect.com today. If you are a PT, OT, or SLP interested in providing outpatient in-home services, email recruitme@feldcareconnects.com to find out more.

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