Oxygen patients benefit from 'Best+Fit'
By Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Updated Fri June 22, 2012
NEW BERLIN, Wisc. - Dwindling reimbursement often leads to dwindling service and patient care.
Not so for Home Care Medical and its 3,000 oxygen patients.
The provider's Best+Fit oxygen program is now so popular that physicians are writing “Best+Fit” on their prescriptions.
“I always say our service comes with the equipment,” said Donna Smith, director of respiratory care services.
The goal of the Best+Fit program is simple: Match each oxygen patient with the best fit for oxygen therapy, whether it's stationery, liquid or portable, or a combination thereof. It's a high-touch model that requires a clinical staff comprised of respiratory therapists and specialists to assess the needs of each patient.
“We can go into the home and identify a problem and report it back to the physicians,” said Smith. “We are not a drop-off company. We are dealing with patients and their health.”
While there's no reimbursement for additional services, Smith says that the high level of patient care pays off in increased referrals.
Patient assessment goes beyond measuring ambulation. Home Care Medical takes into account many other factors, such as physical dexterity, mental capacity, and whether there is a caregiver in the home.
“They can tell you one thing over the phone, but when you get in the home, it's totally different,” said Smith. “If they have arthritis and they can't turn the knobs, we need to know that. We are ultimately responsible for that equipment and we take it very seriously.”
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