Digital health software Somnoware has launched enhanced durable medical equipment (DME) ordering capability for enterprise healthcare systems. The company’s software has already been set up for hospitals and healthcare systems for use in end-to-end patient care management for chronic diseases like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Now the expanded interoperability with electronic medical record (EMR) software will enable customers to manage patients who have historically not been on the platform.

The launch of this new capability is a recognition that enterprise-level healthcare systems often operate on a diverse set of processes, Somnoware states, as it is sometimes not possible to completely route all the patients through Somnoware. The interoperability has already been tested and deployed for many EMR systems including Epic, Cerner, Allscripts, GE Centricity, Meditech, and eClinicalWorks. Other integrations are available on demand.

With the enhanced DME ordering capability, physicians and care providers can now place orders within their existing EMR system. The order is then transmitted automatically via Somnoware to the DME provider for fulfillment. During the transmission, Somnoware appends other relevant patient information to the electronic order—so the DME company receives rich and complete patient records. Furthermore, if the DME order was originally placed by a non-physician, Somnoware offers the opportunity for the physician to electronically sign the order and append notes before it is sent to the DME provider. This new feature centralizes the flow of all sleep orders through a single interface irrespective of where the order originates from.

A variety of DME orders including device orders, supplies orders, PAP device discontinuation, and pressure change placed in the EMR system flow into Somnoware via HL7. A detailed written order that includes devices, supplies, patient’s insurance information, and patient contact details is generated. This report is then electronically signed by the physician. The whole order, along with supporting documents, is then transmitted to the DME company for fulfillment. The whole process is completely automated. A cancellation workflow is also implemented, which allows order cancellations to also propagate from the EMR system to the DME company.

“For the past several years, Somnoware has been the preferred patient care management software for sleep centers and pulmonary test facilities,” says Subath Kamalasan, CEO of Somnoware, in a release. “We recognize the process complexities that exist at many enterprise healthcare systems. This new capability will enable larger healthcare systems to start benefiting from Somnoware more quickly.”