Archive: 2017

  BURNET, Texas - With a Bluetooth-enabled specialty drive control and now a video game that can be used as a training and assessment tool, Gabriel Romero feels like Stealth Products is finally in a place where it's keeping up with mainstream technology. “My background is in computer science, so anything involving programming or electronics in our industry, I've taken to,” said Romero, vice president of sales and marketing for Stealth Products, a division of Quantum...

  Oxygen technology continues to make strides, from remote monitoring connectivity to product engineering that bolsters efficiency, durability and longevity. And while new product designs ultimately benefit the patient, they are also geared toward saving providers money in a hardscrabble reimbursement climate, manufacturers say. “The goal of technological innovation is to drive better outcomes and lower costs across the board more efficiently,” said Biola Okunola, global marketing...

MINNEAPOLIS - Coloplast, which has its U.S. headquarters here but is based in Denmark, announced this month that it has acquired SAS Lilial for a cash consideration of EUR 35.5m or DKK 264m.Lilial is a privately owned French company that distributes catheter and ostomy supplies nationally. It provides patients with products from several different manufacturers, including Coloplast.“The acquisition of SAS Lilial is part of our strategy of pursuing inorganic opportunities to accelerate...

A. The GDPR, effective May 25, 2018, requires a number of new data protection obligations for everyone who does business in and with the European Union. EU data protection law will extend to all foreign companies processing the data of EU residents.One of the key requirements is that SMBs must have a technical solution in place and organizational measures that demonstrate compliance.Another important change is the replacement of the Safe Harbor by Privacy Shieldwhich...

One of the many tasks the editors at HME News field is drumming up a newspoll each month. Sometimes the questions are better than others, and sometimes what seemed like a great question, on second read, after the poll already goes out, seem obvious. This month's topic, Amazon, definitely generated lots of comments on the impact of the Amazon effect. “Amazon's suicide pricing will (if unchecked) destroy our industry exactly like they destroyed the retail industry.” For this, and other...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Exhibit space for the upcoming International Seating Symposium is such a hot commodity that there are 40-plus companies on a waiting list.Exhibit space for ISS, March 6-9, at The Westin Bayshore, here, is locked in at 75 companies, including Inspired by Drive, Permobil and Invacare.Maureen Story, who co-chairs the committee charged with planning ISS, spoke with HME News about why the event, which hops between Canada and the U.S. each year, has seen such dynamic growth.HME...

YARMOUTH, Maine - Unsurprisingly, a large majority of providers fear the “Amazon effect” on the DME market, according to the results of a recent HME Newspoll.While Amazon already offers basic DME, the retail giant has reportedly applied for wholesale distribution licenses in more than a dozen states for “durable medical equipment distribution, medical gas distribution, or both,” according to multiple news reports. “I don't like things such as oxygen being offered...

A. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have been integrated in our daily lives from social media interactions, retail shopping and now healthcare. Unlike the retail industry, where ads are triggered based on a web user's interest, the healthcare industry uses predictive analysis to learn more about patients and improve their health outcomes, which in turn can lead to cost savings. Machine learning platforms help identify potential issues or gaps in care. By doing this, we can...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - It's no secret that audits, and all the administrative complexities that accompany them, have been the bane of the HME industry for years. But a recently formed partnership between HME stakeholders aims to change that.Dubbed RxCloud9, LLC, the partnership between HME business owners and a HME billing software developer is poised to release a software package that aims to simplify—and, more importantly, clarify—the audit process.“The value in this product...

DULUTH, Minn. - In another nod that it's a specialized but growing market, the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services has opened up its Home Modification Accessibility Committee to providers nationwide. At press time, the committee had 14 members, including new members from Arizona, Mississippi and California, according to Rose Schafhauser, executive director of MAMES. “It's a great opportunity to network in such a specific area,” she said, “which is extremely...