This article is part of the HHCN+ membership
The increased use of technology in home care has been an innovative way to advance the industry, but has improved patient care, made provider operations more efficient, and lessened the caregiver's management burden. However, when using outdated technology, the outcome can be disastrous.
Outdated technologies in home care settings pose serious risks, including increased security vulnerabilities, operational issues, and potential harm to patients. Specifically, obsolete software and hardware can lead to data breach, communication issues, and difficulties in maintaining regulatory compliance.
“Old-fashioned technology limits productivity, irritates staff and does not affect patient expectations,” Dr. Adam Groff, CEO of Maribel Health, told Home Healthcare News. “It also makes it difficult to provide the right care at the right time, especially as costs increase and refunds are enhanced.”
Based in Hanover, New Hampshire, Maribel Health designs, builds and operates advanced clinical care models for home and community to expand the capabilities of our health system and improve patient access.
What began as a solution that helps providers streamline their workflows can grow into tools that allow patients to play a more active role in their health, and even help caregivers find solutions in challenging situations. Digital health resources make it easier to access current data, increase productivity, increase health outcomes, and increase continuity of care.
Typically, older technology will cause providers to perform reactive fixes rather than aggressive maintenance. According to Kyruus Health, clinicians spend an average of 45 minutes a day using outdated communication tools, which is why the healthcare industry is estimated to lose $8.3 billion a year.
Providers become outdated technology for many reasons. According to Jen Lentz, CEO of Avid Health At Home, one factor is experience.
“Providers have no experience updating technology platforms and don't know where to start,” Lentz told HHCN. “Many providers don't have the in-house expertise or skills to successfully upgrade their technology. For some, the final upgrade is stressful for staff, so administrators can delay the next one.”
Avid Health at Home provides frail, disabled people and people of all ages in need in 15 locations in 15 counties in over 100 counties in North Carolina, Illinois and Michigan.
However, the landscape is changing rapidly, and previous experience should not prevent providers from upgrading their technology.
“Customers and caregivers are hoping for more and risking them being held to grips with older systems or avoiding or being left behind due to past technical trauma,” warned Romi Gubes, co-founder and CEO of Sensi.ai.
Based in Austin, Texas, Sensi.ai uses audio technology to help caregivers understand their patients' physical, emotional and cognitive needs.
In many cases, the financial costs of one-off and ongoing technology platform upgrades seem overwhelming or impossible in low margin environments such as home healthcare. However, healthcare is the second-most cyberattack industry, failing to upgrade technology can be harmful, and the average financial loss in healthcare data breach is more than twice the global average for all sectors, according to a report by allegyyber Capital.
Experts agree that outdated technology is a common problem among providers. Large companies may have more resources to invest in upgrades, but their complex organizational structures can make implementation of change difficult. Without a clear plan for integration, this could lead to lower productivity and employee dissatisfaction with the new system, Lentz noted.
SMEs often come up with workarounds. This is usually a manual, leading to more administrative staff and costs.
“Large systems often suffer more,” Groff said. “The complexity, vendor lock-in and slow decision-making can make change difficult despite having the resources to drive it.”
Most providers will be outdated technology. Not because they are behind the curve, but because they are focused on doing what they intend.
“If you're juggling schedules, lack of caregivers, compliance and client needs all day long, choosing the right technology is not easy. Unfortunately, many of the tools on sale over the years don't make things easier,” Gubes says.
She explained that unfriendly interfaces, tools that require too many clicks to access basic information, difficult onboarding and system intelligence issues are all the reasons why providers lose trust in their technical systems.
“These tools were not designed to be thought of alongside the real issues of providers and their clients,” Gubes said. “They are static. Without high-quality data, there's no way to adapt, personalize, or predict what really helps.”
Gubes explained that the role of technology in home care should be to support the mission rather than hinder it.
“I want to reconstruct what today's 'old-fashioned technology' means,” she said. “It's not just old software or clunky legacy systems. If your provider chases paper notes without any important data to coordinate care, or operates them in the dark, that's also outdated.”
Stay in front of the curve
According to Lentz, updating and changing practices is important to prevent future technical challenges, and planning is essential.
“Organisations need to clearly define and clarify the appropriate targets for technology upgrades and ensure there is buy-in from all levels of management staff,” she said. “People making changes to their workflows should understand the 'why' behind the upgrade before implementing it. It includes improving employment efficiency, improving client and employee experience, and the company's ability to comply with compliance requirements. ”
She also said that if technology upgrades would make a major difference to the culture, they started with smaller, visible upgrades that would show profits.
“(Staff) experience victory and new benefits, which will make it much easier to tackle bigger and more challenging upgrades,” she said.
As Garbs pointed out, staying up to date with technology means adapting practices and adopting growth mindsets.
“Many providers are stuck because the fear of change outweighs the current pain,” she said. “But if you want different outcomes, you need to make different decisions. That means it's open to evolve how you work.”
She emphasized that it is not just about evaluating technology, but also about evaluating vendor partnerships. The key is to determine whether the vendor is simply selling the tools or truly aligns with the organization's mission. You can be invested in that growth and become a real partner.
“That's not the only one of the best care facilities we see major changes,” Gubes said. “They choose partners that bring a human-centric approach to automation and intelligence, not just software. They know if they're already successful, so they just put them further away and they move faster.”
Gubes acknowledged that the phrase “change management” can put staff on the edge, but it doesn't have to be complicated. In her experience, some of the most effective leaders keep it simple, take initiatives and show teams how learning with staff can help them succeed and build trust.
Groff said that curiosity can make a huge difference. He said he can “connect with his peers regularly, engage with vendors, and track emerging trends that shape the way care is provided and supported.”
