A Guide to Top Durable Medical Equipment Companies

Durable medical equipment, or DME, is a key part of hospice facilities and other healthcare settings. DME helps with things like monitoring your patients and providing end-of-life care. Choosing a less-than-stellar DME vendor can make this difficult, if not impossible. 

To get the best equipment possible for your patients, you want a company that offers vendor choice and excellent customer service. You'll find many durable medical equipment companies out there, and understanding what makes for a good provider and how to find the right one will put you on the path to securing the best DME for your facility.

What Defines a “Top” DME Company

When choosing a DME vendor, several factors should be considered, including:

• Customer service and response times: How fast does the vendor get back to you? How helpful are their responses?
• Equipment quality: Does the vendor offer a range of high-quality equipment from reputable vendors?
• Equipment availability: Does the vendor offer the type of equipment your business needs, and is it readily available?
• Clinical knowledge: Is the staff trained to understand the equipment and how it’s used in a clinical setting?
• Regulatory alignment: Does the DME company have the proper accreditation and licensing?

Note that what defines a top DME supplier can vary based on your healthcare facility and its needs. A DME evaluation can help you determine what factors to focus on.

Key Players in the DME Space

The top DME suppliers may be national or local, and they can be standalone suppliers or management services. Both have pros and cons.

National providers are often a great option for healthcare systems that span multiple states, as they tend to have a more uniform ordering process and a greater range of insurance contracts. However, their support may be less personalized, and they may not be as familiar with the needs of your specific area as local providers.

Standalone providers can be great if you need customized equipment, and they often have more specialized knowledge in their field. However, they don’t offer the same range of products that DME management services offer.

If you have patients with a variety of DME needs, a DME management company is often the way to go. They’re more than a middleman, and can not only help you find the right vendors, but also assist with customer service and other aspects of the ordering process.   

Evaluation Criteria for Hospice-Focused DME

As a hospice facility, you have a duty to provide high-quality DME to your patients. As you explore your hospice DME vendor options, ask questions like:

• Does the vendor understand hospice needs? Your vendor should have a strong knowledge of the type of equipment you may need, such as medical equipment for end-of-life care, and be able to provide that equipment for you.
• Are there vendor-neutral options? Some DME companies contract with only specific vendors. You want a company that provides options.
• Is the vendor flexible? Healthcare can be hectic, and you may need to make adjustments to your orders or reschedule deliveries. 
• Are they responsive? You need a vendor that is available to help you and responds right away.

You should conduct a DME provider comparison to see how different companies stack up based on your business and patient needs. Customer reviews and testimonials are a great way to learn about a company's customer service and flexibility.

Why Vendor Choice Matters

Vendor choice is a crucial part of running a hospice facility. The providers you choose significantly impact your patients’ health and well-being. If your patients are happy, their family and loved ones are more likely to be satisfied as well. There’s a lot to be said about making someone comfortable in their last days.

Beyond that, there are business reasons to choose good vendors. Happy customers will leave positive reviews that drive business, while unhappy ones will leave negative reviews that keep business away. Additionally, customers with positive experiences lead to good CAHPS scores. These scores are publicly reported, meaning potential future customers will see the results.

How Qualis Fits In

Qualis is a DME management company that uses a unique model to promote vendor choice. Our robust DME vendor network includes over 900 vendor relationships and support across 43 states.

Additionally, our business management services include centralized reporting, which allows you to not only order the right items, but also track the status of your orders and refer back to past orders. Our platform’s easy-to-use communication tools, helpful dashboards, and unlimited reports keep things organized and allow you to focus more on your patient needs instead of paperwork.

Conclusion + Recommendations

The DME company you choose can have a huge impact on patient outcomes and the success of your facility. When choosing a durable medical equipment company, ask vendors about things like delivery metrics, backorder policies, and training protocols. Check reviews to learn more about their customer service.

Qualis provides full DME management services with an emphasis on vendor choice and customer care. Looking for vendor-neutral DME management with national reach? Talk to the Qualis team today.