Development and validation of eligibility criteria for homecare services: A case study of three home healthcare providing institutions in Bangalore Jenny R Alex Julia1, Shalini D2 1Post Graduate Student Department of Hospital Administration, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Gnanagangothri Campus, New BEL Road, MSR Nagar, Bangalore 2Assistant Professor, Department of Hospital Administration, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Gnanagangothri Campus, New BEL Road, MSR Nagar, Bangalore Online published on 25 September, 2018. Abstract The Indian healthcare market is blooming rapidly and so is the expense of the medical services in hospitals. With the increase in ageing population, prevalence of chronic diseases, rising rates of non-communicable diseases and nosocomial infections, hospitals are burdened and congested with patients with chronic conditions rather than acute diseases. Health challenges today are comprehensive and interrelated. The care delivery model should also use a multi-pronged, collaborative, and technology-enabled approach which would lead to more fruitful outcomes. The key constituents required would be safe, standardized, and evidence-based processes. The homecare model has been successful in reaching out to mass volumes with competitors in the industry offering range of specialized services, but it has its own challenges. It is imperative to evaluate whether homecare organizations use eligibility criteria to screen patients so that there is no deficiency in the quality of care provided. Inclusion and Exclusion criteria for screening patients should be need based and shouldn't act as a barrier for the eligible candidates. The study aimed to develop eligibility criteria for home healthcare providing institutions for carrying out appropriate screening of homecare patients/applicant. The study approach was to identify and assess current screening practices in three homecare providing organizations in Bangalore and developing criteria based on the current practices and best practices across various organizations globally. The criteria were developed addressing the needs of both the patients and healthcare providers. The developed criteria were validated using Delphi method by domain experts. The validated criteria can be used by organizations to screen patients or applicants eligible for homecare and increase access to the needy in the community. Top Keywords Eligibility Criteria, Homecare Services, Best Screening Practices, Validation, Delphi method. Top |