Philips: ‘Masks remain one of the most important aspects in adherence’

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Philips officials highlighted the performance of the company's mask business in a recent earnings call. We asked Rahul Gundala, business lead, patient interfaces, Sleep & Respiratory Care, to elaborate on how, especially in the U.S., this product category has helped keep the company connected to HME providers as it works through a consent decree related to its CPAP devices. 

HME News: What are the company's newest mask offerings? On a recent earnings call, a few new options were mentioned. 

Rahul Gundala: Philips continues to focus on driving innovation within our mask portfolio. This includes upgrades and enhancements to our existing masks, as well as entirely new offerings. We recently released a nasal cannula and pillow product in select international markets and are continuing to scale its deployment globally. Additionally, we recently gained 510 (k) clearance from the U.S. FDA for two in-hospital masks. 

As we work to secure future clearances for other products in our pipeline, we are strengthening our supply chain to ensure the timely delivery of the latest innovations to clinicians and patients.  

HME: How has the mask business allowed the company to stay connected with HME providers, even as it cannot sell them CPAP devices?  

Gundala: Philips has and continues to offer a clinically relevant Patient Interface portfolio. Masks remain one of the most important aspects in patient adherence to sleep and respiratory therapy. Millions of patients who use our masks continue to engage in their therapy through these products. In many cases, the Patient Interface products are also vendor-agnostic, allowing providers to customize mask therapies and leverage the best solution to meet their patient’s unique needs. Our ongoing focus on comfort, ease of use, and ensuring better adherence to therapy has allowed us to remain a preferred partner for many care providers and HMEs/DMEs in both the U.S. and globally. 

HME: Was there attrition in the mask business post-recall and if so, how has the company fought to win back those customers?  

Gundala: Yes, our customers have remained engaged with us on our Patient Interface portfolio, and Philips is committed to these partnerships with HMEs. The ongoing collaboration and belief demonstrated by HME customers have facilitated close engagement with providers, enabling Philips to address many health care challenges through solutions that will have a positive impact on patients. 

HME: Masks are a competitive part of the sleep therapy product category with more opportunity for recurring revenue for providers. What does Philips offer providers to help them fully leverage this product category?  

Gundala: Philips partners with providers and distributors to ensure patients have the option to resupply their masks, so they can be confident that their mask is in top condition for delivering their therapy. Close collaboration with customers is maintained through numerous programs designed to drive the adoption of various solutions to support patient adherence during the initial stages of at-home therapies. The goal is to strengthen the mask supply and introduce a broader range of products and services in the future to enhance partnerships, expand patient adherence support and improve the quality of sleep therapy.  

HME: What's in the pipeline for masks? 

Gundala: As sleep and respiratory technology rapidly advances, we remain committed to investing in state-of-the-art solutions that are driving new interface architectures to deliver the quality care that patients deserve. There is a strong focus on driving innovations that advance the Philips mission of delivering better care to as many patients as possible.