The DME Industry: Trends, Challenges, Technology, and the Future of Durable Medical Equipment

High Administrative Workloads

DME companies manage a large volume of administrative tasks. Employees may spend significant amounts of time verifying eligibility, entering information, checking documentation, calling payers, tracking orders, and following up on claims.

Manual processes can become particularly difficult as a company grows.

Inventory Management

Inventory represents a significant operational challenge.

DME providers need to know:

• What equipment is available
• Where it is located
• Whether it is reserved
• Whether it is being repaired
• Which items are currently with patients
• Which items are available for reuse
• Which products are approaching warranty expiration
• Which serialized items were delivered to specific patients

Without accurate inventory information, providers may purchase unnecessary equipment while simultaneously experiencing shortages of products they actually need.

Delivery Logistics

DME delivery is more complicated than ordinary parcel shipping.

Some equipment requires scheduled delivery, setup, patient instruction, signatures, or installation. Providers may also need to coordinate urgent deliveries.

As patient volumes increase, manual scheduling becomes increasingly difficult.