CanCare was the first home health care agency (in June, 2004) in Ontario to successfully and permanently implement a telephony system. Telephony is used to monitor our service delivery times, duration and location. With the telephony technology PSWs and nurses call a 1-800 number at the beginning and end of each visit from the client's home phone. This system is integrated with Can Care's computer scheduling software and with caller identification technology. The caller identification matches the location of the phone number with the Client in our scheduling software and if the call start time and end time occur at the correct time the visit is confirmed.
Telephony minimizes risk to clients and employees as it allows for the rapid identification (within 15 minutes of the visit start time) of late or missed visits; (by real time email notification) therefore allowing our Client Service Coordinators to call the Client to ensure their safety, and if necessary schedule an alternate PSW or Nurse to provide the service. Ultimately this plays a significant role in promoting client satisfaction and high quality services, for example ensuring timed medication visits occur within a safe time frame.
Telephony minimizes risk to CanCare as it provides us with a secure monitoring system to ensure that visits are being provided on time and for the duration ordered. Clients typically would sign the time record at the end of service and these were used to 'prove' that service was provided. The use of caller identification technology provides a reliable, error free and cost effective means of confirming the occurrence and duration of a visit.
