Timely access to home medical equipment (HME) can often be a major pain point for hospice providers. When HME isn’t brought into the home when needed, it greatly reduces their patients’ quality of life and clinical outcomes.
In light of this reality, many hospice providers are starting to prioritize their HME strategies, whether that’s through solidifying external partnerships or building strong HME departments from within. VITAS Healthcare, the largest hospice provider in the U.S., is a prime example.
Supporting more than 19,000 patients daily
“Most hospice patients prefer to be at home as they near the end of life, surrounded by their loved ones, rather than in a hospital setting,” Mario De La Rosa, VP of HME Operations at VITAS, told HME Business. “HME helps bring the hospital home for patients who enroll in hospice care.”
De La Rosa was elevated to lead the VITAS HME department in February.
Miami-based VITAS is a subsidiary of Chemed Corp (NYSE: CHE). As of last month, the hospice giant and its 10,537 staff members provided care to more than 19,000 patients daily, throughout 14 states and the District of Columbia.
The VITAS HME division includes hospice professionals, HME medical service technicians and others.
“The role of VITAS HME in [patient] care is a vital one,” De La Rosa said. “Our HME medical service technician is often the first VITAS team member to visit a patient at home when delivering the equipment. Our skilled HME medical service technician also takes the time to train caregivers on how to safely operate the equipment.”
At VITAS, the most common types of home medical equipment used in hospice care include respiratory devices for various therapies, hospital beds and mobility equipment.
In addition to the commonly used types of HME, VITAS also provides specialty equipment such as enteral feeding pumps, bariatric equipment and gastric suction machines to support complex patient care plans, De La Rosa explained.
VITAS works to determine patients’ HME needs at the time of admission.
“The VITAS hospice care team completes a guided assessment for the patient via a mobile app upon admission,” De La Rosa said. “The responses allow the care team to designate the individual HME needs of the patient, and this data remains available to them throughout the patient’s time in VITAS care.”
How technology can help HME-hospice challenges
Timely access to HME in hospice can have a material impact on hospital readmission rates, patient satisfaction scores and other important benchmarks.
That’s partly why VITAS has built out its own HME division.
“Because VITAS has our own HME division, we maintain our own equipment, delivery and staff with our own warehouses and delivery vehicles,” De La Rosa said. “This allows us to provide a more direct service. We can respond quickly and efficiently, meaning patients and families are not left waiting for equipment that is critical to their care.”
Maintaining its HME division also relieves some of the pressure on caregivers and family members, he added.
Beyond access delays, other common challenges surrounding HME and hospice include general awareness. In many cases, patients and families may not be aware of the HME options they have available to them, according to De La Rosa.
Technology will likely play an important role in mitigating some of today’s HME-hospice challenges. Technology can, for instance, reduce communication gaps between patients, hospice providers and HME suppliers, while also streaming certain logistical challenges.
Among its technology efforts, VITAS has started working with one software vendor to help clinicians order HME and medical supplies at the patient bedside.
“More than ever, there is an urgent need and expectation for HME providers to evolve as technological and system advancements are implemented within the industry,” De La Rosa said.
