Join the club: ‘There’s more real substance'

JOHNSTON, R.I. – Psst, have you heard of Clubhouse, the new invite-only, live audio social media app that has attracted A-listers like Bill Gates and Barack Obama? Dana Lesperance has and he wants his fellow HME providers to hop onboard the app, which allows users to search for different forums or “rooms” that host live discussions on a wide range of topics.

“There’s this mystique or aura around it because of the invite-only nature of it,” says Lesperance, director of marketing and sales for the Johnston, R.I.-based Absolute Respiratory Care. “I think people are looking for outlets beyond Facebook and Twitter, which are under a lot of scrutiny these days. There’s more real substance and, I think, more credible sources (on Clubhouse).”

HME News spoke with Lesperance recently about Clubhouse and why it’s important for HME providers to join the “cool kids” and make HME a trending topic.

HME News: You’ve just joined Clubhouse. What do you think so far?

Dana Lesperance: I’m still learning how to use it, but as I started to look for different forums and rooms within the platform, it gives you suggestions. Health care best practices, marketing and branding – those are the types of rooms that I’m following. Yesterday, at 4:30, I jumped on (a discussion) about marketing and branding. They were debating where the line is between the two.

HME: Are there any forums yet about home medical equipment?

Lesperance: I can search CPAP and anything related to sleep, and listen in from a more macro perspective. As a whole, the industry is starting to integrate cash sale items like CBD and sound machines. How do we tie in other sleep-related items?

HME: So if more HME providers are invited, that opens to the door for forums on topics specific to HME?

Lesperance: It’s really trying to figure out how to position HME in those forums, or specific industry leaders. Say AAHomecare wants to have a group discussion, right now it’s a limited number of industry folks who can get on that forum and listen. Over time, that will expand and be something we could utilize more as an industry and can give ourselves more credibility.

HME: There are some active HME providers on various social media platforms. Is the industry taking advantage of what those platforms offer?

Lesperance: I think that we need to step up as an industry and be more engaged around social media. Especially on Twitter, I think it’s wise as a company to follow the people you would like to follow you back. We follow key legislators; we follow policy makers; we follow AAH, VGM and HME News. When you folks put out tangible data or news, we can retweet that and share it back to our base. They are getting informed and it’s circular.