Keeping up with the evolving rules for DME ordering from different patient health plans and for different suppliers is a daunting task. And it takes time away from the reason most clinicians chose their career path — helping patients! What’s even worse, not keeping up with the rules leads to errors and inefficiencies, potentially causing delays and discouraging outcomes for patients. Especially when you lose sight of the order after faxing. Read on for a User Story of how ePrescribing on Parachute changes all that. 

What can possibly go wrong with fax-based DME ordering?

In healthcare, efficiency and accuracy are paramount. Lives depend on the seamless coordination and the timely procurement of essential documentation. Imagine a bustling medical office, folders brimming with order forms for different suppliers, health plan instructions, and vibrant sticky notes clinging precariously to the edges of desks, their valuable information at the mercy of gravity.

While these colorful slips of paper may seem innocent, their untimely descent can lead to disastrous consequences. What initially appears as a handy organizational strategy soon reveals itself to be a double-edged sword. Scrambling through piles of documents to locate the required information can waste valuable time, impacting patient care and productivity. And what happens when that information becomes out of date? This is why having one place that houses all of the ordering guidance and clinical documentation requirements is essential. Sticky notes can fall off and go missing. Pages in a folder or binder can be misplaced or simply go outdated. 

If something is wrong with an order, it may not become apparent until days or weeks later when the patient calls to ask or a supplier follows up asking for more information or to sort out a smudged fax. Or even worse, the fax gets lost.

Can ePrescribing be the solution for reliable DME ordering?

The Parachute Platform acts as a reliable ordering system, guiding users through each step of the DME order process with ease and precision. It prompts for all information relevant to the DME and supplies being ordered. Then all entered information, from patient demographics to insurance coverage details to clinical notes, is seamlessly assembled in the platform into a prescription, face-to-face documentation, certificates of medical necessity, etc. — in short, clean orders.

After the order is submitted, the Parachute Platform empowers providers with visibility into order status. If a patient calls, the order information is right at your fingertips. The transparency also allows proactive follow-ups via digital chat with Suppliers, and promotes accountability on both sides to make sure the order gets to the patient quickly and reliably.

Hidden Heroes - User Story

“Parachute has made the exceedingly complicated process of processing patient supplies seamless and transparent. The insurance requirements for devices are very complex and difficult to manage, especially when you aren’t sure what is needed. But with Parachute, we are able to easily specify information, and provide the RIGHT kind of documentation to ensure the patient’s order gets processed as quickly and smoothly as possible. 

As a provider, the hardest part of sending an order or paperwork is not knowing what happens next. We often get calls from patients asking us where the process is, and with traditional faxing, we weren’t even sure that their order was received. But with Parachute, we are able to login quickly and know exactly what step of the process is happening at any time. 

Making Parachute part of the standard workflow in our clinic has reduced call volume, patient complaints, and increased employee satisfaction since they can access information so easily.”

- Ashley Pickering Brown, MSN, APRN, AGNP-C, CDCES
Director, Diabetes Education and Technology Services
Joslin Diabetes

Delightfully simple digital ordering step by step

How does ePrescribing actually work? Parachute Health platform anticipates all of the needs for a digital DME order. Once patient demographic and insurance information is complete you’re able to toggle through the categories; it is easy to identify the diabetes section. From there, finding supplies is a breeze. Diabetes supplies vary from shoes, to glucose monitoring systems, to insulin pumps by all major brands. If you’d like to review an extensive list of equipment please check out the State of DME ePrescribing Report. There are packages of items that are frequently ordered together for delightfully simple digital order. It’s easy and convenient.

“Orders placed using Parachute Health’s DME ePrescribing are clean and complete the first time. Suppliers can accept right away, which means up to 85% faster time to product delivery.”