Duane Ridenour

Nearly 10 years ago, the industry saw a consolidation of software vendors. Since then, additional mergers/acquisitions have occurred along with the entry of a handful of new vendors. Those vendors who decided not to invest in Windows™ technology either sold their customer list or were swallowed up by another entity. Providers were at the mercy of the new company for upgrades or had to strike out on their own to replace unsupported software.

These new vendors entered the market with software developed in/with Windows™ from the ground up, or took an existing product and modified it for the HME industry. Regardless of their beginnings, these new vendors were unhindered by the status quo or the constraints of requiring existing customers to pay for their "new technology" version.

The result today is that we have a wide variety of software vendors offering a plethora of features. Providers benefit from this selection, but are also confused by the lack of standardized terms. Electronic claims for one vendor may only mean sending Medicare primary claims with a modem. To another, the meaning is nearly all claims are submitted electronically. The same is true for many other areas, including inventory and payment posting.

Your software must be of value to you in at least three areas: profitability, business decisions, and inventory management. Your software is an asset, not simply a tool. Tools are used for a short time, wear out, and are replaced. Assets are long-term investments used to bring value and profit to the company.

Are you receiving the benefits that were promised prior to your purchase? Is the technology meeting your needs? Software must improve your profitability. One way to accomplish this is through productivity enhancements that software must provide.

Intake and customer service are the most paper-intensive area. The reasons for still writing an order on a piece of paper before entering it into the computer are numerous. The "what ifs" and tradition need to be evaluated objectively. Simply stated, duplication of effort means lost productivity.

Other paper documents associated with intake are the supplier standards, patient rights, packets to be put together, and more. Some of these forms you probably customized with your logo and had them reviewed by an attorney. The thought of changing these forms is no different than trying to convince someone afraid of heights to take skydiving lessons; it's not going to happen.

Are you willing to compromise? Keep your custom forms—color or black and white—and take advantage of your software's ability to print all your needed documents. Prices for color printers continue to drop.

The ability to print documentation at the time of order entry will reduce costs and improve front-end productivity. If the documents are not needed when the order is entered, then let the software print these documents with the delivery ticket. There is little benefit from printing documentation and forwarding it to another department for handling—unless you are bound to your paper process.

Another benefit you should be receiving is reduced data entry errors. Moving data throughout your system and between systems is a must. Duplicate entry unnecessarily reduces productivity (profit) and increases the potential for keying errors. In addition, lack of connectivity between systems means there are likely to be other tasks that are suffering from lack of automation and data sharing.

EYE ON SALES

While patients or caregivers are speaking with your intake personnel, are they being told about complementary products? Is your staff recommending preferred products? If patients come in to purchase walkers, do they learn about the different types? When diabetic strips are purchased, are patients asked if they also need lancets? Software that identifies preferred products and reminds staff of important information gives the patient an opportunity to choose what is right for them.

EYE TO VERIFY

Are you still calling your carriers to verify eligibility and benefits? The availability of online verification eliminates time wasted on the phone. For example, patients with recurring purchases for diabetic and wound care supplies can be batched together and submitted at one time to companies such as ZirMed (based in Louisville, Ky).

Duane Ridenour has provided training and consulting services throughout the United States. He is vice chair for the NSCAC executive committee and serves on multiple DME MAC Advisory Committees. Ridenour can be reached via e-mail: .