More hospices are prioritizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities in their documentation technology investments.

However, financial headwinds and limitations in software systems represent significant barriers to deeper integration.

This is according to the new Hospice News Market Intelligence Report, which found that 39% of survey respondents cited documentation software featuring AI and machine learning capabilities was cited as “very important.” The research explored how hospices are navigating documentation challenges and where they see the technology investments heading on the horizon.

Nearly all of the respondents provided hospice, and more than half also offered palliative care. Respondents also included home health, private duty and personal care providers, as well as operators of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Included in the respondents were health care c-suite executives, and leaders of clinical, operational technology and office administration teams, as well as direct care workers, among others.

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Where tech is heading

Hospices have increasingly weighed the application of AI and machine learning in end-of-life care delivery.

AI and machine learning technologies have been used to improve access among underserved patient populations and to help identify patients with higher levels of care or those nearing the end of life. AI platforms have also come to the forefront that aim to improve advance care planning discussions and goal concordant care.

Voice recognition and dictation, predictive clinical alerts and real-time audit tools were cited as the common uses of documentation software among 53%, 19% and 22% of the Hospice News survey respondents, respectively.

Key factors driving tech trends

Many hospices currently use documentation software in a variety of ways including scheduling patient visits and updating plans of care, interdisciplinary care team notation, medication management and bereavement tracking. Other software applications included tracking billing claims, quality and compliance records, as well as offering a family communication portal.

Clinical usability is the most important factor driving decisions related to documentation investments, according to 78% of the Hospice News survey respondents. Regulatory compliance features was rated as the second highest consideration among 75% of respondents, with mobile functionality, integration capability and price as other important points.

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The findings illustrate some of the significant challenges facing hospice providers today: clinical retention and regulatory compliance.

Health care shortages that proliferated for several years running were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many hospices remaining concerned about the lasting impacts as a swelling aging population drives up demand. The ability to retain sufficient supply of clinical resources has in part hinged on hospices’ ability to improve operational efficiency and reduce documentation time.

More than 60% of the hospices indicated that they were seeking to integrate documentation with advanced analytics and reporting features.

Additionally, roughly 64% of the hospices surveyed indicated that automated compliance alerts were a key feature they were hoping to add to their documentation software.

Documentation issues serve as one of the most common challenges in hospice compliance. Documentation errors related to patient eligibility and medical necessity of services are often flagged by Medicare auditors. These challenges have increasingly weighed on hospices’ minds amid program integrity issues that have percolated in the space and resulted in ramped up regulatory oversight, including more auditing activity.

Barriers to documentation tech

Hospices face a host of challenges related to documentation technologies. Report respondents cited lengthy documentation that took away from bedside care, software accessibility and compatibility issues and technological challenges that resulted in delayed documentation or increased regulatory burdens.

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A significant issue for many organizations is that much of the documentation software systems currently available are not specifically designed for hospice, according to 34% of the respondents. Additionally, about 13% of the individuals surveyed indicated that their documentation software does not align well with hospice-specific workflows.

Financial constraints are also a challenge for many hospices. Only 14% of respondents indicated that their annual budget for documentation software was more than $100,000, with nearly one-third allotting less than this amount toward these types of investments.