OVERVIEW
If you run skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or post-acute care facilities, you face this almost daily:
It’s late Monday afternoon and you receive a call from a referring hospital that a patient will be
discharged to your facility on Tuesday morning. You ask about the patient’s needs, and you learn
that the new admit requires a 42” wide high/low bed with a 600 lbs. capacity and a 42” bariatric
alternating pressure mattress. Should you even try to buy the equipment on such short notice (is
it possible?) or does renting the equipment make more sense? Here are the important
considerations you face:
CAPITAL BUDGET
1. Do you have the capital budget to pay for this equipment? And even if you do, is this a good use of funds? A quick calculation shows that the equipment will cost you $3,000 or more – is that in your
budget – renting will cost between $20 and $25 per day, but you only pay for the actual days that you need the equipment. Partnering with the right rental company will help you control your expenses, offer competitive rates, flexible pricing and dashboard reporting analytics for managing rental usage. Renting can also allow you to use your capital budget for investments that will drive meaningful ROI, unburdened by unnecessary equipment purchases.
FINDING THE DME
2. Can you find the DME you need when you need it? Once you start searching for equipment,
it may take you several days to find what you need from the manufacturer. Then the equipment
must be shipped to your facility, assembled and tested. All of this takes precious time – something you may not have. A rental company can provide equipment on-demand (usually within four hours) – you only pay for what you need, where you need it, and it will be there when you need it.
24/7 ORDERING
3. Can you place your order by phone or on-line 24/7? What if it’s 9:00 p.m. when you get the call that a patient is arriving the next day? You obviously cannot start looking for equipment at that hour. A rental company may have a 24/7 phone line or allow you to place your order on-line, and get you the equipment the next day. That’s important, especially when that call for equipment comes after normal business hours.
PATIENT-READY DME
4. If you buy the equipment, will it be patient ready? When you purchase equipment, you must
wait for delivery, often assemble the equipment, and then test it. When you rent, you know the
equipment will be patient-ready, or that the rental company will repair or replace it immediately
if there is a problem. Equally important, renting shifts maintenance concerns to the rental company.
TRACKING THE DME
5. Can you keep track of equipment that is not used every day? When equipment that is not used every day is placed in storage, do you have a way to track where it is? Rental equipment will be bar-coded and tracked in your facilities by resident/patient and room number. You should have online access
to real-time information that tracks equipment usage by equipment type, facility, patient, and cost. The reports should allow you to see where equipment is at all times.
STORAGE SPACE
6. Do you have the space to store the DME that will not be used daily? Should you be using
valuable space to store equipment you will use only a few times a year? Any space in a facility
not used to deliver care directly to a patient is a cost that you don’t want to incur. If you rent,
the equipment is removed when not in use and valuable space is preserved.
OBSOLESCENCE7
7. Is your purchased equipment still up-to-date after many years of use? Equipment may
become obsolete and general wear and tear takes its toll over the years. If you rent, you can be
assured of the latest equipment models and safety features – your equipment will never become
obsolete.
TRAINING
8. Who is going to train your staff to operate the equipment? When purchased equipment is delivered, is your staff immediately trained to use the equipment safely and effectively? When you rent, your staff is trained by the rental company to operate the equipment correctly and efficiently when it is delivered, and they will be there to re-train and provide in-service as your staff changes.
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION
These considerations are many and diverse, and depend on many factors, which will vary from facility to facility and patient to patient. Let MediLogix, a national leader in DME rental, help you decide whether to rent or own. We will guide you through the analysis and help setup a rental program that saves
money, time and space while Delivering Continuity of Care.
ABOUT MEDILOGIX
MediLogix is the market leader in providing on-demand equipment rental solutions for skilled
nursing and post-acute care operators throughout the United States. Our clinical and business
solutions help us Deliver Continuity of Care. Operators are empowered to deliver better patient
outcomes, while lowering rental usage and minimizing cost. The MediLogix Customer Portal with
dashboard analytics, reports and ordering allows operators to closely manage their rental
program and make informed decisions. MediLogix is the only national rental company in North
America to exclusively support Span America’s Therapy Support Surfaces, the safest and most
clinically effective products on the market. To learn more, visit us at medilogixllc.com or send
email us at contact@medilogixllc.com.