The world of post-acute care is shifting fast, and your documentation strategy needs to keep up. That was the message from our recent webinar, “Enterprise-Ready AI: Preparing for HOPE, OASIS-E, and the Future of Documentation,” where nVoq was joined by experts from CHAP and Choice Health at Home to explore the clinical, regulatory, and operational changes impacting home health and hospice agencies today.
If you missed the session, here are five key takeaways and what they mean for your agency.
1. Regulatory Changes are Raising the Stakes
From the OASIS-E expansion to the rollout of the HOPE assessment and increased audit activity across several states, documentation requirements are growing in both scope and scrutiny.
“The impact of the HOPE tool will happen in your daily operations,” said Jennifer Kennedy from CHAP. “You’re going to have to be extremely diligent about tracking, auditing, and submitting quality data in a timely manner.”
CHAP’s Kim Skehan noted a rise in Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) audits and survey scrutiny, particularly in states like CA, AZ, TX, and NV. Agencies need to ensure documentation is complete, accurate, and defensible – or risk costly denials and citations.
2. OASIS-E is Affecting More Than Just Clinicians
As of July 1, OASIS-E applies to all payers, not just Medicare, putting new pressure on documentation workflows, QA resources, and operational oversight.
“We leaned into staffing changes to keep case managing disciplines available, especially for assessments and death visits. We didn’t scale back; we grew. And we had to think differently about how we supervise, audit, and maintain compliance without just adding help,” said Paul McMullen, COO of Choice Health at Home.
This ripple effect extends beyond clinicians to impacting billing timelines, cash flow, and clinician retention, especially as the pace and complexity of regulatory changes continue to increase.
3. AI Tools are Helping, But Only When Built for Real Workflows
Not all AI is created equal. Speakers agreed that while some AI tools promise quick wins, they often fall short in real-world use.
Jason Banks of nVoq shared examples of where point solutions focused only on OASIS Start of Care forms were too narrow, failing to scale across documentation types, visit types, and roles.
Instead, successful agencies are moving toward enterprise-ready platforms that work across multiple service lines (home health, hospice, palliative) and support all disciplines, not just nurses.
“The key is usability. If AI adds steps or creates more cleanup, it doesn’t work. We need tools that integrate cleanly and support adoption.”
4. A System-Wide Strategy for Documentation Readiness
Throughout the discussion, panelists emphasized the importance of taking an enterprise-wide view when adopting new documentation solutions. Rather than solving one documentation challenge at a time, agencies are beginning to:
- Align documentation across service lines (home health, hospice, palliative)
- Empower all clinical roles with tools that meet their specific needs
- Connect documentation to broader business goals like revenue protection, audit readiness, and staff retention
Paul McMullen shared his perspective:
“If documentation isn’t scalable, it becomes a bottleneck. We’re investing in strategies that help everyone work smarter – not harder.”
Agencies that take a strategic, future-ready approach to documentation can better withstand the pressures of regulatory change while gaining a competitive edge.
5. Advice for Agencies Preparing for What’s Ahead
To close the session, panelists offered tactical advice:
- Begin training and readiness planning now if you haven’t started, don’t wait for HOPE to arrive.
- Include multiple departments in documentation strategy conversations (QA, clinical, operations).
- Ask AI vendors specific questions about auditability, scalability, and real-world performance.
- Balance innovation with compliance. Regulatory change doesn’t mean abandoning safeguards.
“Documentation is no longer a back-office function. It’s a strategic lever for agency success.”
Want to explore how enterprise-ready documentation tools can help your agency navigate what’s next?
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