Michael Seils, PT, DPT, EdD, MBA discusses the vital role of interdisciplinary collaboration in home health care. Drawing from several years of experience as a PT, home health supervisor, and academician, Dr. Seils emphasizes that strong communication among healthcare professionals is essential to improving outcomes, reducing hospitalizations, and optimizing patient and staff satisfaction. He shares insights from two impactful projects: a collaborative PT/OT model that resulted in a 0% rehospitalization rate, and his dissertation research exploring communication patterns between nurses and therapists in home care. Dr. Seils also advocates for structured tools such as SBAR and TeamSTEPPS to improve team coordination. His description of real-world case studies illustrate how collaborative start-of-care visits and intentional visit scheduling can proactively address patient needs and avoid rehospitalizations. The episode concludes with actionable takeaways for clinicians, educators, and policymakers to build a more connected and effective home health workforce.
