Research and Studies

Many of the most recognized and most highly publicized research in the home care and hospice fields have been conducted by Fazzi Associates. They include our national OASIS Integrity Studies, Best Practice Operational Studies, Hospitalization Reduction Study, Future of Technology and Telehealth Studies, and OASIS-C Best Practices Studies. Fazzi has also partnered with some of the most respected national and international companies in conducting these studies. Partners included the 3M Corporation, Philips, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, the Briggs Corporation, and Delta Health Technologies.

National Study on Best Practices to Reduce Unplanned Hospitalizations

Sponsored by Delta Health Technologies. Co-sponsored by National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign, NAHC Forum of State Associations, American Physical Therapy Association, and Fazzi Associates, Inc.
May, 2011
The National Study on Best Practices to Reduce Unplanned Hospitalizations has two goals: First, to identify the best practices that are used by hospital-based and non hospital-based home care agencies to reduce unplanned hospitalizations.  Second, based on the findings, initiate a systematic effort that results in home care agencies not only learning about the best practice findings, but also adopting the findings.  The study results will be shared with the entire field later this year.  For more information, click here.

The Ohio Move to Improve Campaign for Excellence

The Ohio Move to Improve Campaign for Excellence is a systematic effort to work with 100 Ohio agencies to help them achieve measurable improvement in their acute care hospitalization and management of oral medications by July 1, 2012.  It began on January 1, 2011.  The first six months will be data collection, training on a proven improvement model, and support for developing a new, responsive clinical model to improve re-hospitalization outcomes.  From July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, participants will be supported in making the right moves to improve the re-hospitalization outcome.  For more information, click here.

Delta National Excellence in Therapy Project

Sponsored by Delta Health Technologies and Co-Sponsored by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, the Home Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, the Home & Community Health Special Interest Section of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Fazzi Associates
April 2011
This was the largest effort in the history of home care for therapy. More than 80 clinical experts from around the nation spent nearly 50 hours working collaboratively through six topics important to the proper and consistent documentation of the medical necessity of therapy services and the use of therapy assistants. The goal: to develop a shared set of recommended strategies, techniques, tips, etc. to help agency clinicians throughout the country more effectively manage their rehab services.  For the full report, click here.

Delta OASIS-C Best Practices Project

Sponsored by Delta Health Technologies, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and Fazzi Associates, Inc.
January 2010
More than 80 changes took effect with OASIS-C on January 1, 2010 – the biggest revision in the history of OASIS. This project brought together some of home care’s top clinicians from all 50 states in a national effort to support and improve the accuracy of our clinicians in using the OASIS-C data set. Learn more at the project site, or the full report click here.

Philips National Chronic Disease Expert Design Project

Sponsored by Philips Telehealth Solutions, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and Fazzi Associates, Inc.
March 2009
This project brought together a national panel of medical experts in chronic disease and leaders in home health care, with the objective to develop telehealth clinical protocols and best practices in care for the four leading chronic conditions. Learn more at the project site, or for the full report click here.

National Best Practice Improvement Study

Fazzi Associates, Inc.
March 2008
The goal of the study is measurable financial and quality improvement for home health agencies. For study particulars and participation requirements, click here.

Philips National Study on the Future of Technology and Telehealth in Home Care

Sponsored by Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and Fazzi Associates, Inc.
March 2008
The National Study of the Future of Technology and Telehealth in Home Care has been designed to generate industry-wide insights into the use of technology and telehealth by the full range of home care agencies. The goal is to provide home care leaders with the first real objective assessment of what is happening in terms of adoption, successes, and challenges of major types of technology now being used in the home care field. The study is designed to generate research based insights that enable easier, more educated decisions for home care leaders on the use of technologies – such as telehealth – in the delivery of services.  Click here for the full study.

National Quality Improvement Hospitalization Reduction Study

Sponsored by Briggs Corporation, Fazzi Associates, Inc., and National Association for Home Care and Hospice
January 2006
The goal of the Briggs® National Quality Improvement/Hospitalization Reduction Study was to identify the best strategies and best practices being used by nation’s top agencies for improving quality and reducing unplanned hospitalizations. The study focused on the top 10% of agencies, those with hospitalization rates of 19% or lower. The national average has been fixated on 28% since the inception of CMS’s publicly reported Home Health Compare. Click here for the full study.

National OASIS Integrity Project... Ensuring Accuracy of OASIS Assessments

Sponsorsed by 3M Company, Fazzi Associates, Inc., and National Association for Home Care and Hospice - 2003
The National OASIS Integrity Project, an effort to develop clinician-friendly (simple and short) guidelines for ensuring accurate OASIS assessments, was developed through a three-way partnering between the National Association for Home Care, the 3M Company and Fazzi Associates.  Click here for more.

The National Home Care Re-Engineering Study

Sponsored by Fazzi Associates, Inc., PricewaterhouseCoopers, and National Association for Home Care
April 1999
Medicare's Interim Payment System (IPS), managed care, and future Prospective Payment System (PPS) have one common implication for most home health providers: fewer visits per patient. Recognizing this reality, Fazzi Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the National Association for Home Care (NAHC) collaborated on a national study that examined the practices of home health agencies whose utilization trends represented the future of home care. Click here for the full study.

Collaborating to Compete: A National Study of Horizontal Networks

By Robert V. Agoglia and Robert A. Fazzi - November 1996
Horizontal networks offer providers challenges as well as options. To help providers explore the idea of joining a network, a national study presents the experiences of successful and unsuccessful home care networks.  Click here for the full study.