Technology and home care: implementing systems to enhance aging in place.

The national healthcare agenda to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, provide high quality evidence and performance based care while simultaneously meeting stricter legal and regulatory requirements, has forced home care and hospice staff to change the way they work. These pressures require a reliance on new technologies to meet these goals. Through the agency-wide introduction and implementation of a variety of technological systems; electronic medical record/ point of care devises, telehealth, telephony and e-learning the Norwell VNA and Hospice has been able to improve efficiencies for employees allowing the focus of services to remain solely on patients and patient care. The technology has enhanced the agency's performance standards, communication and ultimate outcomes.