Study Shows Home Health Nurses With Smaller Caseloads Have Better Patient Satisfaction Ratings

June 15, 2022 by Alexa Hornbeck
Study Shows Home Health Nurses With Smaller Caseloads Have Better Patient Satisfaction Ratings
(Photo courtesy microbizmag.co.uk via WIkimedia Commons)

A recent report from Leading Age, a nonprofit advocacy organization, finds that home health nurse case managers with smaller caseloads typically have better quality of care and patient satisfaction ratings. 

The report, titled the “National Healthcare at Home Best Practices and Future Insights Study,” was done over the span of one year in collaboration with a consulting firm called BerryDunn.

Researchers examined over 400,000 data points from over 1,000 home health care agencies finding that registered nurse case manager caseloads under 25 have the highest star ratings for quality of care and patient satisfaction. 

Out of all the home health care centers included in the report, 64% of nurse case managers had caseloads of 20 to 25 patients. The rest primarily had lower caseloads of 19 or less, but any caseloads higher than 25 were associated with diminished quality and patient satisfaction. 

Timely documentation was also associated with agencies with fewer caseloads. 

During the pandemic home health agencies were also required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to transition to a Patient-Driven Groupings Model, which relies more heavily on clinical characteristics and other patient information to place home health periods of care into meaningful payment categories.  

The increase in telehealth usage during the pandemic was also correlated with an increase in quality care ratings, with 92% of agency respondents using telehealth, with 44% continuing to use telehealth after patient discharge for population health initiatives.

Agencies began using non-clinicians for roles that weren’t clinical in nature, such as scheduling appointments, as two-thirds of home health agencies surveyed used a dedicated scheduler. 

The data shows that while there is a nursing shortage in the United States, agencies who use non-clinicians for roles that aren’t clinical in nature are doing so successfully without compromising the quality of care.

Alexa can be reached at [email protected]

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Health

Biden Announcing New Rule to Protect Consumers Who Purchase Short-Term Health Insurance Plans

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A... Read More

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect consumers who buy short-term health insurance plans that critics say amount to junk. A new rule finalized by the Democratic president's administration will limit these plans to just three months. And the plans can only be renewed for a maximum... Read More

March 27, 2024
by Dan McCue
One-Time Treatment Could Revitalize Immune Systems in the Elderly

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of... Read More

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A new study suggests that a one-time treatment that modulates the composition of a type of immune cell could potentially revitalize the immune systems of the elderly, helping their bodies better react to viral and bacterial threats. The research was carried out... Read More

March 27, 2024
by Dan McCue
Insurers to Expand Access to ‘Navigation Services’ for Cancer Patients

WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients... Read More

WASHINGTON — Seven of the nation’s largest health insurance companies are expanding access to so-called “navigation services” to help patients and their families navigate the myriad challenges that might arise during treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The insurers involved are Aetna; Blue Cross Blue... Read More

Five Takeaways From the Abortion Pill Case Before US Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone,... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday did not appear ready to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could have far-reaching implications for millions of American women and for scores of drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. It's... Read More

Biden and Harris Argue Democrats Will Preserve Health Care and Republicans Would Take It Away

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in... Read More

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday promoted their health care agenda in the battleground state of North Carolina, arguing that Democrats like themselves would preserve access to care while Republicans would reverse gains made over the past decade... Read More

March 26, 2024
by Tom Ramstack
Supreme Court Skeptical of Ban on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access... Read More

WASHINGTON — A hearing Tuesday before the Supreme Court indicated a majority of the justices want to maintain women’s access to the abortion pill mifepristone despite objections from anti-abortion activists. The doctors and organizations who sued argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong in granting... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top