ResMed bets on ‘technology play’

SAN DIEGO – HME providers need to be leaning into technology to simultaneously address challenges and ride tailwinds, and that’s where ResMed comes in, says Bobby Ghoshal. 

“We have a mission statement in SaaS: We power the re-imagination of health care,” said Ghoshal, president of the company’s growing SaaS business unit. “We feel our customers will be rethinking care, and we’re the ones to power that and enable that to happen.” 

Here’s what Ghoshal had to say about how ResMed plans to up the HME provider’s game and why the company’s planned acquisition of MEDIFOX DAN in Germany advances this cause. 

HME News: The U.S. and German health care markets are obviously very different, but how might the solutions in each market influence the other? 

Bobby Ghoshal: It’s really early days and these are solutions that are purpose-built for the markets they’re in, but from day one, from my first interaction with the team at MEDIFOX DAN, when they described the challenges they are facing, they are the exact same challenges as in the U.S. No. 1 in the provider headspace right now is staffing shortages and how to solve this. 

HME: What is the role of technology in solving this problem? 

Ghoshal: It’s automating workflows. It’s efficiencies in how we deliver care. It’s route optimization for home health caregivers. It’s artificial intelligence for most optimal staffing allocation and scheduling. It’s machine learning for setting priorities based on the risk of the patient. 

HME: While there are challenges, there are also tailwinds, like an aging population that wants to stay in their homes and an increase in out-of-hospital care. 

Ghoshal: Yes, our customers need more help from technology to scale their businesses. A lot of answers are going to come from technology and that’s where we come in. We see ourselves as being this industry force for continued growth and improvement. Our customers want to improve care, while making it more efficient. That’s a technology play. 

HME: How has the initial acquisition of Brightree in 2016 changed the course for ResMed. 

Ghoshal: In many ways, the DNA has changed for ResMed. It’s moving from a medtech device company to a connected technology device company to a tech-driven company in general. Now with this acquisition into Germany, we’re taking that a step further.