HealthTap Launches Virtual Primary Care Program for DME Sleep Providers

SUNNYVALE, California—Virtual primary care practice HealthTap has announced a new clinical offering to support sleep and respiratory durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers across sleep therapy. The program connects patients with primary care physicians on HealthTap when they need a clinical evaluation, documentation or order. It supports visits across the PAP supply process, from initial evaluation and therapy orders through compliance, resupply and device replacement.

For DME suppliers supporting patients with sleep disorders, physician access can become a workflow constraint long after the initial diagnosis. A patient may need a clinician visit, supporting documentation or a new order before a payer, supplier or care process can proceed. When that work depends on an unaffiliated practice, supplier teams may need to coordinate records and follow up across multiple parties.

HealthTap’s new program can be embedded into existing DME systems and workflows, including digital experiences, apps, reminder programs and call centers. With patient consent, relevant medical history, sleep-study information and device data can be securely shared before the visit to support informed, independent clinical decisions.

Following the visit, completed chart notes and medically appropriate orders, including orders with physician signatures, can be sent immediately to the supplier through API, HL7/FHIR or SFTP integrations. Documentation can include applicable HCPCS codes and prescribed pressure settings to support payer-specific requirements. Safeguards are also included to support patient privacy and documentation quality.

HealthTap said in a release it also sends real-time updates to partners’ existing systems when patients book, cancel, miss, reschedule or complete visits, and when orders and required documentation are returned. For example, for PAP compliance visits, physicians on HealthTap document whether the patient is using and benefiting from the device based on their clinical evaluation. This gives operations and fulfillment teams visibility into each step, reducing the need to call physician offices, check visit status or track down paperwork. Approximately 89% of visits on HealthTap occur the same day, with patient satisfaction of 4.9 out of 5 based on post-visit reviews.

“Sleep DME teams work hard to keep patients on therapy, but too often progress stalls waiting on a prescription, an updated order, or a required clinical re-evaluation,” said Geoffrey Rutledge, HealthTap’s co-founder and chief medical officer. “HealthTap gives suppliers a fast, integrated way to connect those patients with a licensed physician, who can evaluate them and determine the right next step. As a result, care keeps moving and suppliers get the documentation they need without the usual delays.”