Tag: COVID-19
Trial calls into question effectiveness of home pulse oximetry for COVID-19 patients
April 12, 2022HME News Staff
PHILADELPHIA – The addition of home pulse oximetry to remote monitoring for patients with test-confirmed COVID-19 did not result in a greater number of days alive and out of the hospital than subjective assessments of dyspnea alone, according to a trial conducted by physicians and other health care professionals at the University of Pennsylvania.
Twenty-eight physicians and other health care professionals from the Perelman School of Medicine published a letter to the editor in...
Aspirus Home Medical sees nine times greater utilization of home oxygen therapy
February 7, 2022HME News Staff
WAUSAU, Wis. – Aspirus Home Medical Equipment has seen a steep increase in patients requiring home oxygen therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company has reported the number of new oxygen patients spiked to 172 in January of this year compared to about 40 new patients per month earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic and about 20 per month prior to the pandemic.
“Pre-pandemic to today, we’re seeing nine times greater utilization of our oxygen concentrators,”...
Oxygen market has evolved in pandemic
December 29, 2021John Andrews
Between the continuing threat of COVID-19 and lingering supply chain disruption, 2021 was a challenging year in the respiratory market for manufacturers, providers and patients alike. The pandemic has had a profound impact on the way the HME industry operates, while product distribution snarls have been a source of frustration.
These developments illuminated the HME industry’s profile within the overall healthcare spectrum, inspired a greater embrace of medical and information technology...
Non-invasive therapy might be better for COVID-19 patients, analysis finds
December 8, 2021HME News Staff
LONDON – Studies indicate that non-invasive respiratory support (NIRS) for patients with COVID-19 is safe, improves resource utilization and might be associated with better outcomes, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
For the analysis, researchers identified two randomized controlled trials and 83 observational studies compromising 13,931 patients that examined the effects of NIRS modalities—high-flow nasal oxygen, continuous positive...
Medicare spending on physician services dropped in 2020
December 7, 2021HME News Staff
CHICAGO – Medicare spending on physician services fell an estimated $13.9 billion, or 14% below expected levels, in 2020, according to a new report from the American Medical Association. Despite a mid-year rebound after sharp declines early in the year, spending during 2020 never recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the report found. “Physicians experienced a significant and sustained drop in Medicare revenue during the first 10 months of the pandemic,” said Gerald Harmon, MD, president...
COVID infusion therapy shifts to the home
October 29, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – The Delta variant of COVID-19 has accelerated demand for monoclonal antibody therapy provided in the home, say home infusion providers, who are stepping up to meet that demand.
“Hospitals don’t have the bandwidth and they don’t want the patients in their settings,” said Greg LoPresti, CEO of Upstate HomeCare in Syracuse, N.Y. “Their intake process takes a long time compared to us. We’ve taken a lot of the caseloads off hospitals.”
In...
Soleo Health tapped by health system to provide mAb therapy at home
September 21, 2021HME News Staff
FRISCO, Texas – Soleo Health has been selected by Houston Methodist to provide monoclonal antibody therapy (mAb) to COVID-19 patients in their homes. The hospital system is among the nation’s largest providers of mAb therapy and has a partnership with the U.S. Department of Human Services, supported by KPMG LLP, to expand access to the treatment to underserved and disadvantaged patients in the greater Houston area. “By teaming up with Houston Methodist to help patients receive therapy...
Impact of product delays: ‘It’s a battle to find everything’
September 17, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – Although shortages of respiratory equipment continue to make headlines, driven by a widespread recall on certain CPAP devices and noninvasive ventilators and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, providers say they are seeing massive delays in getting equipment across the board.
“Manual wheelchairs, rollators, walkers, scooters – it’s a battle to find pretty much everything,” said Craig Rae, owner of Penrod Medical Equipment in Salisbury, N.C. “A...
Industry agenda heats up: 'It’s an easy story to tell’
September 17, 2021Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders are speeding up the drum beat on the impact of changed cost structures and supply chain issues on HME providers, says Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare.
“We need providers to reach out to their members and talk about how they’ve shined throughout the pandemic – the role they’ve played – and yet continue to take reimbursement rates from five years ago,” he said. “It’s an easy story to tell, and...
‘The benefits of e-prescribing are numerous’
September 17, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – There are signs the tide may be turning on e-prescribing, according to an HME Newspoll.
About 32% of respondents to the poll say they’re using e-prescribing compared to only 17% in a past poll in early 2020. Additionally, 55% of respondents to the new poll say they plan to adopt e-prescribing within the next year.
“e-prescribing ensures complete, accurate documentation on the first pass, promoting efficiency for the DME and the referral,”...