DME Staff and Technology Boost Profit Per Visit by > 60%
Adding staff to manage durable medical equipment (DME) can save money, improve patient satisfaction
CORRelations staff regularly visits with leaders at efficient private practices to learn about the innovations, modifications, or upgrades that have made big differences.
This week, CORRelations spoke with Erika Noll, COO of Peachtree Orthopedics. Peachtree Orthopedics is a 35-physician group in Atlanta, GA, and has been in practice for 70 years. Peachtree has 9 locations, 3 ambulatory surgery centers, and 4 MRI locations.
CORRelations: What’s been the biggest game-changer for your practice in the last year or two?
Ms. Erika Noll: We have spent the past several years changing our approach to durable medical equipment (DME) inventory, billing, and offerings, as well as the patient flow in the clinic. We have added dedicated DME staff at each location (primarily athletic trainers) who see patients following their clinic visits for DME fittings and education. This team also ensures that orders, billing, and documentation meet necessary requirements, as we had experienced problems previously with inventory management and appropriate billing. We also utilize a technology solution for Medicare same/similar checks, so that we can notify these patients at time of service of their patient responsibility and collect appropriately. Our DME manager works closely with the revenue cycle team to follow up on claims and denials and is continually looking at opportunities to improve our DME offerings, better manage costs, and improve patient satisfaction.
CORRelations: Why are you so excited about it?
