VGM turns patient stories into state-level advocacy

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM has developed a platform that collects real-world experiences from home medical equipment (HME) patients and providers, turning them into data that can guide consumer decisions and inform public policy.

“I love hearing stories. I love telling stories,” said Ike Isaacson, senior vice president of government & regulatory relations for VGM. “There’s so much power in that first-person experience that we just haven’t done a great job of capturing. They’re everywhere. I hear them every time I’m on the road.”

The Patient Voices initiative allows patients, caregivers and HME professionals – including drivers, customer service representatives, billing staff and others with a direct view into the lives of patients – to access an online portal, identify the relevant product or service category and describe their experiences in an open text field.

Isaacson says those experiences may include everything from extraordinary service, such as crossing flooded roads to deliver supplies, to repeated denials and other barriers that prevent patients from receiving care. VGM will review submissions before publication.

“I don’t really want to dictate (too much),” he said. “I want it to be raw.”

Experiences will be organized through an interactive U.S. map, creating a public record of how equipment access, provider service and health care policy are playing out state by state.

“If I’m a consumer in Florida, if I’m a consumer in Colorado, if my mom or dad or my kid needs something, I could go in and look at that (state) and see the stories,” Isaacson said. “What are people saying about the DMEPOS industry in my state?”

That same geographic structure will allow VGM to bring lawmakers firsthand accounts from their own constituents, showing where HME services are preserving health and independence – and where reimbursement, coverage or access policies are breaking down.

“My goal is to be able to sit in a legislator's office and pull it up on my laptop and be like, here's the real feedback we're getting from your constituents,” Isaacson said. “Here are the things your people need you to create policies for.”

Isaacson hopes the initiative will expand to include videos, live discussions and media outreach.

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Photo courtesy of VGM.