Advancements in Respiratory Technology: Shaping the Future of Patient Care

Published in Respiratory & Sleep on July 03, 2024

By Boone Lockard, VP, Clinical Services, VGM & Associates

The field of respiratory care is rapidly evolving, driven by technological innovations that promise better patient outcomes and enhanced quality of life. As healthcare providers, staying abreast of these advancements is crucial to providing optimal care. At VGM, we are continuously looking for new ways our members can care for their patients by using cutting edge technology.

CPAP Adherence

VGM Sleep Services, a dedicated CPAP division, is at the forefront of leveraging technology to improve patient compliance and outcomes. Their mission is to establish lasting relationships with patients, ensuring ongoing success in managing sleep apnea. By addressing staffing challenges and cost concerns, they empower members to focus on patient care.

Sanusom and VGM Sleep Services have recently partnered to help enhance CPAP adherence. They made strides in the management of sleep apnea through a remote patient monitoring model and have developed a collaborative PAP adherence program that provides support to patients beyond the first 90 days of treatment.

Sanusom’s program stands out due to its duration, spanning seven months, in contrast to the industry standard of 90 days. This extended timeframe facilitates more comprehensive patient support, leading to over 70% of patients remaining compliant after the first year. The program encompasses patient onboarding, coaching, adherence support, and regular progress reports. A particularly appealing feature of this program is that DME members incur no cost to manage eligible patients.

Technology Advancements

O2 Concepts is a trailblazer in respiratory technology, contributing significantly to oxygen therapy. They have provided numerous technological contributions to respiratory care and oxygen therapy. O2 Concepts’ portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) are also equipped with proprietary DNA Technology®, which allows for the daily transmission of therapy adherence and device performance data. Instead of sending clinical staff to the patient to complete a concentrator check, staff members can now do this task virtually, saving an incredible amount of time and allowing providers to reallocate clinical resources to more profitable areas of the business. This proactive, device-initiated connectivity helps healthcare providers stay ahead of potential issues and improve device recovery rates and asset management practices, while also providing levels of efficiency, outcomes, and profitability.

While not directly involved in respiratory care, Darby has developed technology that significantly improves the delivery of healthcare services. The company’s AI-enabled order processing technology, known as Smart Intake, automates PDF order processing, reducing time, cost, and clerical errors. Having a system working with providers to reduce the heavy manual load of paperwork allows providers to better assist their patients and reduces data entry errors.

This technology is designed to fit the way healthcare providers already work, making it an efficient and effective tool for managing patient intake.

Asset management is another concern for providers. Assets can go missing by having another medical equipment company pick up the equipment, they can be damaged due to temperatures, or patients may lose the equipment. This can cost a provider thousands of dollars with each asset lost or damaged. Trace has developed an asset tracking program to keep track of any asset. This tracking can help reduce the average 8%-10% of inventory loss. This allows the provider to be able to see where all the assets are, especially if the provider has multiple branch locations in several different states.

VGM Respiratory has partnered with many thought leaders in the industry. Our focus is to help members be able to use their time efficiently, be more efficient, and at lower labor costs. With the decrease in available employees to ensure the bottom line is protected, technology will help with these results. We actively identify SaaS platforms that will transform day-to-day operations. These partnerships will enhance our members’ ability to leverage the latest technological advancements in respiratory care, thereby enabling them to provide superior care to their patients.

The advancements made by Sanusom, O2 Concepts, Darby, Trace, and others exemplify the transformative power of technology in the field of respiratory care.

As these companies and others continue to innovate, we can expect to see further improvements in patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. The future of respiratory care is bright, and these companies are paving the way. 

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This article was originally featured in the VGM Playbook: Perspectives on the Next Generation in Post-Acute Homecare. To read the full article and more like this, download your copy of the playbook today! 

TAGS

1. leadership
2. playbook
3. post-acute homecare
4. respiratory
5. technology
6. vgm