White Paper

Extending the Runway: Why Earlier Engagement is the Key to Better DME Outcomes

Engaging DME partners at surgery approval can improve recovery experiences, streamline transitions and drive more efficient workers’ compensation claim outcomes.
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White Paper Summary

When an injured worker faces surgery, the road to recovery involves far more than the procedure itself. Discharge planning, ambulatory aids, transportation, language and rehabilitation services all need to align seamlessly for recovery to progress without setbacks. Yet in many claims, coordination of durable medical equipment (DME) doesn’t begin until an order is written — sometimes only a day before surgery.

That reactive posture can leave claims management teams scrambling and injured workers navigating unnecessary friction during an already stressful time. Increasingly, industry leaders are recognizing that one of the greatest opportunities to improve patient satisfaction, outcomes and simultaneously manage costs exists well before the DME order is ever written.

“The greatest opportunity comes from really extending the runway,” said Danielle Flynn, National Product Leader, DME and Home Health at One Call. “DME is a component of a larger treatment plan, but by the time the DME order is written, many key decisions have already been made. When stakeholders can engage earlier, we create more time — more time to anticipate needs, more time to identify and remove barriers, to coordinate care, and to support the injured worker’s recovery before it becomes time sensitive.”

To learn more about One Call, please visit their website.

One Call is the nation’s leading provider of specialized solutions to the workers’ compensation industry. One Call’s solutions enable faster, more efficient and more cost-effective claims resolution with a focus on injured workers’ needs across the continuum of care.