E-prescribing: Eliminate guessing

A. In 2019, consumers have never had more transparency and efficiency when ordering items in their everyday lives. You know when those shoes you ordered on Amazon will be delivered, when the Uber driver will pick you up, and you'll get an alert from Delta if your flight is delayed. But for some reason, a patient isn't given the same basic level of transparency for the equipment they desperately need, in today's healthcare world.

Currently, most caregivers still order medical equipment for patients with a fax machine or electronic fax, and patients suffer because of it. There is no transparency into the process—the expected delivery date, the costs associated, what is required through insurance, who to contact to coordinate delivery, the list goes on and on.

ePrescribing is an incredible tool that delivers patients, caregivers, and suppliers the level of transparency they enjoy in their everyday lives. We can track equipment, know what is covered by insurance, and actually eliminate the back and forth guessing game that comes with the fax machine.

But, ePrescribing can be a daunting thing for some caregivers and suppliers to embrace. They may be new to technology, used to the fax machine, or it just doesn't seem like it's worth the effort of change. Change can always be difficult. But, the fear of relying on technology has not stopped many industries from moving forward—horse and buggy to cars, rotary phones to cell phones. Life has been made better by technology, and this industry is no different. When suppliers spend less time dealing with paperwork, you can process even more patient orders. When caregivers spend less time dealing with paperwork, they can spend more time caring for patients. It's a better world of healthcare.

Dave Gelbard is the CEO of Parachute Health. Reach him at david@parachutehealth.com