While it’s clear that information technology can improve the operations of any HME, the challenge is figuring out how to begin and where to spend your money. Across the spectrum, HME experts agree on several points when it comes to assessing IT needs. First, no two HME companies are alike. Second, no two software or IT solutions are alike. Finally, the assessment cannot be completed all at once or in a short period of time. Take your time (but don’t wait too long) and do your homework in assessing your company’s IT needs.

**”You can’t do everything at once,” says Roberta Domos, president of Redmond, Wash.-based Domos HME Consulting Group. “Prioritize. Sit down and ask, ‘What is an area of my business where technology would be most useful?’”

**”Analyze each position and function in your company, and evaluate whether technology would help people do their jobs better,” adds Heidi Thometz, director of sales and marketing for Computers Unlimited, Billings, Mont.

**Consider what makes your company unusual, advises Michael Barish, president of AnCor Healthcare Consulting, Coral Springs, Fla., then determine which software can meet these specific needs. “Is there a managed care contract that requires special programming in order to handle the contractual agreements? Is there something unique about the way equipment is purchased or distributed?”

**Another step is one that providers may overlook. “Make a list of the things that your current system does well for your business,” recommends Lee Hartz, general manager of Management by Information, Sherwood, Ark. “No doubt there are things that work well for you. This is the time to remember those things so you don’t get surprised when you put in a new system and find that a feature you thought was standard in all systems does not exist in the new one.”

**According to Mark Kulik, vice president for sales and marketing for CareCentric, Atlanta, another question to ask is, “How do I want to grow my business?” With a good IT system, he points out, providers can capture information such as their top referral sources or top-selling sales representatives.

“This is more than just data—it gives you information to act on, which is the single biggest benefit of automating your business,” Kulik says.

Choosing a Vendor
Look for a vendor that understands HME, experts say. Also, check to see if the vendor offers support services, such as user groups and live technical support. Find out how long the company has been in business and how long the software has been on the market. Ask for references—and check them.

**”It is all about relationships,” counsels MBI’s Hartz. “A software purchase is a long-term decision. You have to assess if the people you are dealing with will make good long-term partners for your business.”

**”Find out from other companies using the software if they feel they get the support and changes they ask for,” says Esther Apter, CEO of MedForce Technologies and president of Healthcare Management Solutions, both in Monsey, N.Y.

**Estimate the costs associated with each vendor’s product. “It is critical to anticipate all the costs associated with various applications,” cautions Weyman Perry, vice president, sales and marketing, for Fidelis Software, Duluth, Ga. “Some systems require significant investments in expensive hardware while others can run on the company’s existing desktop computers. [Likewise], there are various ways to connect multiple locations, some very expensive and others very inexpensive.

“Some companies provide additional resource help in terms of data backup/recovery and management of Medicare-driven codes, while others require much more hands-on labor to run and operate the system. All of these factors can be summed up in a word: Cost.”

**Most important, look for a vendor whose target market fits with your company’s goals. “No vendor tries to be all things to all people, so you want to make sure your goals align with the vendor’s focus,” says Jim Clark, president of Miami-based SoftAid.

**”You have to take a long, hard look at whether the software will allow you to do business the way you want to do business,” says RemitData CEO Bentley Goodwin. “All [applications] do the same underlying things; it’s just the steps you have to go through and the way they make you input data [that are different]. Vendors are not marketing a product that can be adapted. Instead, they are saying, ‘this is the way people should do it and this is how we’re building our product.’”

**Ask to see the software demonstrated. “Review how orders are processed for a new patient, from intake to payment posting, and enter one of the inventory items the patient is to receive, the physician, the referral source and the insurance company into the control files,” suggests Michael Barish, president of AnCor Healthcare Consulting, Coral Springs, Fla. “Observe the data entry screens: Are they set up in a logical manner, and is data entry efficient?”

**”Be careful to differentiate between features that look cool and features that you will actually use to improve your business,” sums up Apter of MedForce. “Look for features in a system that will help you operate more efficiently but [that will] not necessarily change the way you operate.”