Overview

Home healthcare provider Cera has launched a new suite of AI agents aimed at automating various tasks within the home care sector. This initiative is designed to alleviate the burden of time-consuming administrative duties, allowing caregivers to focus more on patient care.

Key Features of the AI Agents

• Recruitment Acceleration: The introduction of nearly 1,000 AI agents across a workforce of 10,000 aims to streamline the recruitment process for caregivers.
• Staff Coverage Management: The AI agents will assist in organizing replacement cover for caregivers, ensuring continuity of care.
• Quality Assurance: Continuous monitoring and improvement of patient care quality and compliance will be facilitated by these agents.

Addressing Workforce Challenges

Currently, there are 110,000 vacancies in adult care, with an estimated one million new care workers needed over the next 14 years to meet growing demand. Dr. Ben Maruthappu, founder and CEO of Cera, emphasized the importance of these AI agents in addressing workforce challenges:

“Our AI Agents remove paperwork so carers can get back to caring. They also accelerate recruitment, ensuring more patients get better care, faster.”

Types of AI Agents

1. AI Care Coordinator Agent: Automates the process of organizing last-minute cover, significantly reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.
2. Field Care Supervisor Agent: Ensures ongoing review and enhancement of care quality by synthesizing clinical data into actionable insights.
3. AI Retention Agent: Identifies staff at risk of leaving and provides support through assessments and development plans.

Impact on Care Delivery

According to Lucy Kruyer, registered manager at Cera Colchester, the implementation of these AI agents has allowed staff to:

“We’ve now got time to ring clients, find out how care is going, fix issues and chase doctors and district nurses instead of spending hours of each day on admin tasks like organizing cover.”

AI Recruitment Agent

Cera has also introduced an AI recruitment agent named Ami, which is designed to enhance the hiring process. The company receives approximately 500,000 job applications annually, and Ami conducts initial interviews, effectively doubling recruitment volumes.

Future Developments

In addition to the AI agents, Cera has begun piloting the use of AI-driven robots in patients’ homes and has plans to expand this technology further.