SOC Timeliness
SOC timeliness measures how quickly a home health agency completes the start of care (SOC) visit after receiving a referral or after the patient's hospital discharge. CMS measures it through the Timely Initiation of Care quality measure, which expects care to begin within two days, and referral sources treat it as a core test of agency reliability.
Definition
SOC timeliness measures how quickly a home health agency completes the start of care (SOC) visit after receiving a referral or after the patient's hospital discharge. CMS measures it through the Timely Initiation of Care quality measure, which expects care to begin within two days, and referral sources treat it as a core test of agency reliability.
Why it matters
SOC Timeliness is part of the Quality & Outcomes vocabulary used across home health operations, documentation, and revenue cycle. Understanding it helps clinicians, QA leads, and administrators stay aligned on care quality and compliance.
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