How to Build and Optimize HME/DME Business Workflows

In the last 10 years, online shopping, food ordering, and mobile experiences have become commonplace across just about every demographic. Digital experiences, speed, and convenience of service are becoming a requirement no matter the industry, and the HME/DME area is no exception. Patients no longer want to deal with piles of paperwork. Instead, they expect that ordering and receiving prescriptions and equipment will be as smooth as food delivery.

Digital innovation is rapidly reshaping the healthcare industry. To cut costs, find new growth opportunities, and provide patients with high-quality care, home medical equipment providers need better tools to manage the healthcare delivery model.

Let’s discuss how HME/DME providers can build a better patient care model and improve their bottom line by automating workflows.

Outdated HME Workflows: Operational Inefficiencies

1. 01 / Manual data entering

   If you are still relying on spreadsheets to manage your client and business data, then you are definitely not on the right track to run your business in today’s environment. Manual data input leads to costly errors and time loss.

2. 02 / Disjointed HME | DME systems
3. In case your patient EMR, inventory and logistic management systems don’t integrate with each other, it can lead to ineffective processes and data loss.
4. The main goal of an automated HME | DME software  system is to provide a smooth process that integrates and communicates with all areas of your business. In this way you will maximize productivity, avoid errors that can lead to lost revenue.
   With NikoHealth integrated automated workflows allows for everything from effective DME inventory management to order processing, billing, logistics, and delivery tracking into a seamless simple platform. In this case, the data and the user do not leave the system to accomplish the tasks at hand.
   
5. 03 / No Digital Patient Experience
6. The point of interaction with your patients is an important touchpoint. Patients expect the ability to complete paperwork digitally whether its signing delivery tickets or organizational documentation. Your field team from clinicians to delivery techs are tired of dragging around paperwork in the field only to misplace the very documentation that you need to get paid. Give your team and patients the mobile experience they expect with mobile apps that can be used on any consumer tablet or phone. Mobile applications enable field workers to track deliveries of medical equipment and supplies, update and change delivery status, track employee performance, and gain insights to improve processes.

Benefits of Automated HME Workflows

When it comes to improving your HME service, focus on what really matters: streamlining your workflow, increasing profitability, and saving time. Let’s dive a little deeper into the instant benefits that can be realized with having the right technology in place. 

Implementing technology to automate your HME/DME operations will help your company:

1. 01 / Simplify billing

   DME billing software can bridge the gap between order processing, fulfilment, and billing will reduce errors and increase your time to payment. 

2. 02 / Accelerate order fulfillment & inventory control

   DME inventory management software can improve the end-to-end process of providing patients with what they need when they need it. You will be able to efficiently handle everything from order processing to shipping, home delivery, and dropship.

3. 03 / Eliminate mistakes

   Automated HME workflows mean that dispatchers and drivers will follow a distinct workflow for each delivery. They will be able to check off tasks as they go. This helps to eliminate mistakes, delays, and missing documentation.

4. 04 / Improve productivity

   Automated HME workflows will streamline the lifecycle of an order. Less manual touch, less paper, and more automation will help to eliminate mistakes, delays, and missing documentation.

5. 05 / Streamline the way your team works

   You will be able to reduce the time spent training new hires on legacy systems and processes and onboard new employees faster while increasing employee performance with thoughtful and easy-to-use workflows.

6. 06 / Provide users with a standout experience

   Your team wants to be productive. With an intuitive and engaging software solution, your team will find that day-to-day tasks are less of a burden and more of a natural process to enable speed and outcomes. 

There is no better way to show that you really care about your customer than to provide them with fast and high-quality service. And sure, this won’t just benefit your end-users, but your entire company as well. The benefits extend to your end-users and the overall operations. You will improve productivity, increase revenue, and ensure your employees are on the same page.

How to Choose an HME/DME Supply Automation?

When searching for the optimal HME software to meet the needs of your business and your patients, check whether the solution provides the following features:

• Inventory management
  The solution like dme inventory management software should be able to eliminate complications with tracking equipment and supplies and must be fully integrated in the native workflow of your order fulfilment process.
• Billing/Revenue Cycle management
  DME billing software should remove manual touchpoints, and help you automate your billing cycle from the time of order fulfilment, while eliminating the front-end mistakes to ensure a high level of clean claims go out the door. 
• Mobile experience
  A mobile app allows for inventory management, order fulfilment, electronic documentation capture, payment collection, and secure connection back to your in-office team real-time. 
• Real-time insights
  Having all the information in one place ensures total visibility over your operations and revenue cycle. This helps to make data-driven decisions faster.like