Products & Technology

Unstoppable Innovation

COVID-19 might have dominated the headlines, but the HME industry's software companies have continued to push the envelope when it comes to developing new capabilities. Here's a round-up of recent innovations to hit the market.

• By David Kopf
• Dec 01, 2021

Over the past 15 years or so, HME providers have learned to leverage software systems to turn their businesses into agile and efficient operations that can manage major changes while still tapping into opportunities to deliver improved care as well as new market segments. If there’s been one business asset that providers have leveraged to manage a whole universe of change, it’s been their software systems.

That’s why each year, we take a moment to survey some of the latest upgrades, enhancements and new offerings the industry’s software vendors have released during the past year. And while the entirety of healthcare was focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, the software companies kept to task when it came to refining their systems. Furthermore, many software companies

pushed new technology agendas, having looked further down the road at the trends that will impact providers in the future.

Bearing that in mind, let’s take a look at what’s been released in recent months:

Brightree Business Management Solution

As you might have seen in various HMEB podcast and video interviews, a big push for Brightree this year has been patient engagement. As part of the company’s ongoing product strategy around business process improvement, automation, integration and analytics, Brightree has focused on a patient-centric approach to digitally communicate with the patient based on their preferred method of contact (text, email, portal, or app).

HMEs can configure automated messages and updates triggered by data and analytics for an Amazon-like experience.

Also, with Brightree’s recent acquisition of Citus Healthcare, Brightree’s software can enable internal care collaboration and improved patient outreach tools such as forms and document signature initiated via an app-less text message or email. Its new Comprehensive Patient Intake lets providers customize the intake process based on job role, which reduces onboarding time and order entry errors for missing information. Qualification questions have been added to help qualify patients based on payer and product to cut denials for unqualified orders.

Brightree
www.brightree.com
(888) 598-7797

TIMS Software

Computers Unlimited developed TIMS Software with the user experience in mind, offering customizable workflow, strong visual cues, and operational processing resulting in high-quality, compliant claims and increased productivity. And our support services provide the support you need – when you need it – with unparalleled results.

TIMS has continued to focus on being a comprehensive business management solution for providers, focusing on revenue-qualifying patient intake; efficiency-boosting workflows; automated resupply; compliance-centric document and authorization management; collection/denial worklists; mobile delivery; inventory and rental equipment management; ePurchasing; eDrop shipping; and performance and KPI analytics.

The company has aimed to keep ensuring TIMS is a fully integrated system designed to optimize outcomes and seamlessly synchronize data in realtime for providers’ entire revenue cycle, including mobile apps for delivery and warehouse operations.

Computers Unlimited
www.TIMSsoftware.com/Medical
(406) 255-9500

PlayMaker Spark

A hosted sales management and CRM system for optimizing HME sales, PlayMaker has deployed several updates to its software in 2021 focused on promoting ease of use and improving the customer experience. A provider using the CRM can now display orders alphanumerically; access updated payer mix data; and view updated market data from 2021.

PlayMaker also enhanced its provider matching algorithms, better enabling users to identify providers with the highest probability of serving patients that are applicable to the user. Additionally, chat functionality is now available within the software providing quick access to technical support.

PlayMaker Health
www.PlayMakerHealth.com
(866) 930-6847

Healthcare Data Management System

Offering various solutions for providers in the post-acute care space, Universal Software Solutions’ HDMS has been a long-standing hosted or on-premise HME management system. HDMS has offered patient, inventory and revenue management home medical and specialty equipment, disposable supply, P&O, and infusion/specialty pharmacy providers.

The company’s recent StowPoint product handles all of a providers’ content management needs allowing word, image, audio, and video files to be stored all in one place. Providers leveraging both solutions can expect to benefit from a tight integration, the company says.

Universal Software Solutions
www.universalss.com
(810) 653-5000

Curasev

Knowing how hard it is for providers to manage their businesses — particularly during a public health emergency — Curasev has been looking for ways to give providers efficient and robust solutions. Bearing that in mind, Curasev partnered with CardConnect to bring HME providers integrated payment processing. The partnership lets providers offer secured payments, reoccurring billing, next-day funding, and the ability to put cards on file. Processed payments feed directly into Curasev to simplify the reconciliation process and eliminate the need to manage multiple systems.

Curasev
curasev.com
(609) 608-9396

Cloud-Based HME/DME Business Process Automation Software

Since April, NikoHealth has updated its hosted HME management system a few times: The Patient Items page now has the ability to enter notes on inventoried items and addition of the Current Items tab, and new Write Off & Close functionality was added under the billing/invoices tab. With another new feature, any previous order within a patient’s record might be copied for further operations.

New inventory location and service maintenance reports became available. Price option management let users export or import the data; and cost-sharing enhancements were applied as well. Expanded units of measure functionality was added for enhanced inventory management, and users now have the ability to dropship the same product across multiple vendors.

Providers can use customizable note templates to create consistent documentation across day-to-day workflows. Evergreen improvements include product name filter enhancement, item back-ordering, inventory reservation, and bin location rules for products based on specific inventory locations.

NikoHealth
nikohealth.com
(732) 361-6776

ContentCenter, RemitCenter, CommandCenter, FormsCenter, ZipMit SignCenter

While categorized as document imaging and management, Medforce really widens the definition of that category by offering several solutions to help solve HME providers’ needs. Each of the Medforce applications works on its own, but when used together, they seamlessly complement each other.

CommandCenter elevates providers’ process management to maximize productivity. ContentCenter is a complete document management system that saves time, money and hassle. RemitCenter provides a complete denial management solution to improve HME providers’ bottom lines.

For HIPAA-compliant electronic signatures, SignCenter was built for healthcare. FormsCenter captures data to help enhance a provider’s business. Lastly, the company’s newly updated ZipMit offers easy esMD submissions for CMS.

Medforce Technologies Inc.
www.medforcetech.com
(845) 426-0459

TeamDME! XL

TeamDME! XL continues to offer customizable workflow templates, e-eligibility, e-purchasing, e-dropships, EHR, mobile delivery app, and point of sale to help providers process all their work with a minimum of clicks.

The company’s latest enhancements for the system include an integrated web store and patient contact management with an inventory resupply option. Also, with the system’s integrated financials, providers can see the financial health of their company at any time.

TeamDME!
www.teamdme.com
(888) 832-6363

This article originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2021 issue of HME Business.