Home Health vs Mobile Wound Specialist

Mobile wound care is often confused with home health services. Here is a side by side comparison.

Difference between Home Health and Home Wound Care Specialist

	*Home Health*	*Home Wound Care Specialist/Mobile Wound Care*
Scope	A broad range of medical services delivered at home, including skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and wound care	Specifically focused on the assessment, treatment, and management of wounds, often including advanced therapies and specialized dressings
Eligibility	Typically requires a doctor’s order and may be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance	Medicare: no referral required Medicaid and private insurance: referral need depends on insurance plan
Purpose	Aims to help patients recover, manage chronic conditions and improve overall quality of life while remaining in their homes.	Aims to heal wounds and/or prevent hospitalization due to wound complications.
Personnel	Typically, RN or LPN with or without specialized knowledge in wound care	Ideally licensed provider (MD, PA, NP) with specialized training in wound care and certification from accredited board (WOCN, WCC, CWS)
Treatment options	Home Health personnel are required to follow orders given by a provider, may have input in change of plan depending on the experience and knowledge of the treatment nurse.	Providers choose advanced treatment options such as specialized dressing choices suitable for the individual wound situation, skin substitutes, order testing to evaluate underlying cause of the wound, can remove devitalized tissue inhibiting healing and collaborate with other entities on treatment plan