Referral sources in home healthcare.

Home health agencies are dependent on referrals for survival, and sources for referrals are limitless. It is imperative that administrators have systems in place to accept referrals, including all data that are pertinent to the care of the patient, collect and maintain referral source data to use as one aspect of the agency's internal evaluation process, and target its marketing efforts. A home health agency must have approved policies and procedures available that address criteria for admission, continuation, and discharge from service. These must be shared with the personnel of the referral sources. The admission criteria should state the types of referrals that are not appropriate for service and how these referrals will be handled. As part of the overall management of the agency, administrators must also be aware of seasonal trends and how they may affect staffing and total budget. A positive relationship between the staff of the home health agency and the referral source is one way to generate needed referrals. The end result will benefit the patient, the agency, and the referring source.