Improve Hospice Patient Satisfaction with Faster DME Delivery

The needs of hospice patients are often urgent, and quick responses can improve care dramatically. For many patients, pain control is the primary goal of care. Hospice providers routinely need to provide durable medical equipment (DME) to improve comfort, such as pressure-relieving mattresses, oxygen support equipment, and supplies for medication infusions. If there are delayed deliveries, patients may struggle with unmanaged pain while they wait for equipment. 

Comprehensive DME management systems allow hospice providers to stay on top of DME needs so they can offer the best care to patients quickly and efficiently. 

The Link Between Speed and Satisfaction

While hospice personnel know that DME vendors are a separate entity, patients and their families don’t always make that distinction. Hospice staff are often the face of care, and families rely on staff members to get what they need as quickly as possible. To hospice patients, DME is the responsibility of the hospice provider. When it comes time for families to fill out their hospice patient satisfaction survey, they may give lower CAHPS scores if their equipment needs were not met in a timely manner. 

In contrast, fast hospice equipment deliveries and pick-ups can improve patient care and increase overall satisfaction with a hospice service.

Current Challenges in Delivery Speed

DME procurement can present challenges for any healthcare provider. Many hospice services find themselves limited to working with a handful of vendors in their geographic area. If one vendor has inventory issues on critical items, that may have ripple effects, resulting in increased demand on other local vendors. That could lead to regional shortages of DME and delays in getting equipment to patients. 

Traditional DME ordering processes are reliant on manual data entry. Not only is the task time-consuming, but it can also lead to inadvertent errors. A typo may result in the wrong piece of equipment showing up at a patient’s house.

Best Practices for Faster Delivery

Hospice providers can get consistent, on-time DME delivery by adopting a few key practices.  

• Multi-vendor networks: Working with a range of vendors automatically increases the available inventory of DME.
• Tech-enabled ordering: Digital tools make DME procurement more efficient. Ordering systems that integrate with electronic health records (EHR) software can eliminate the need for manual order entry. The platform can populate the order with data taken directly from patient charts, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
• Proactive inventory management: Comprehensive reporting on DME orders shows hospice managers trends in equipment needs, and which vendors are positioned to provide necessary DME. 

The Role of Vendor-Neutral Partnerships

Diversifying vendor relationships gives you the right resources to meet DME needs in a timely fashion. While there is value in establishing close working relationships with reliable vendors, no single DME vendor will be able to meet 100% of a provider’s equipment needs. 

Working with a broad network of vendors gives you a ready-made list of DME companies. With this list in hand, you can reduce the level of risk that you'd have to scramble for a referral for a new vendor while a patient waits for care. 

Recently, a hospice client experienced an issue when a vendor reported that overbed tables were out of stock. As overbed tables are one of the most frequently used items for hospice care, this created a significant challenge for the hospice provider’s immediate DME needs. 

When the hospice alerted Qualis to the issue, the internal team reached out to the vendor to address the issue. Together, Qualis and the vendor identified and sourced overbed tables from an alternative supplier/warehouse. Through this collaboration, we were able to ensure the hospice’s needs were met without delay.

Technology’s Role in DME Procurement

A centralized DME ordering system offers the benefit of centralized hospice delivery logistics. Hospice providers can generate custom reports that track equipment needed, which vendors supplied it, cost, delivery time, and other data.

Looking at past ordering trends can help you optimize your DME procurement. You can develop lists of priority vendors broken out by equipment type, location, and turnaround time. Staff members can place orders with the vendor that is best positioned to deliver particular types of equipment quickly. 

How Qualis Delivers Faster 

Qualis is a comprehensive DME management platform for the needs of hospice providers. We maintain a network of DME vendors, so hospice providers can always find the equipment they need. Our EHR integration and easy ordering interface allows staff members to place accurate orders from a mobile device, so equipment can be shipped as soon as it’s prescribed. 

Qualis DME+ helps you get the equipment you need without delays or errors. Simple, effective, and efficient DME delivery can offer patients and their loved ones peace of mind in a challenging time. 

Book a demo today to find out how Qualis can help you deliver equipment faster and improve patient satisfaction.