Home respiratory diagnostic provider VirtuOx has launched a new product for healthcare companies: VirtuTrack.
VirtuTrack is a device that tracks medical equipment in the patient’s home that they rent or lease from durable medical equipment (DME) providers. The tracking device attaches to medical equipment and automatically sends data daily to VirtuOx. In turn, VirtuOx can see if the medical equipment is turned on and if it is plugged into an electric outlet.
Kyle Miko, RT, founder and COO for VirtuOx, says in a release, “With VirtuTrack you will be able to monitor patient compliance to any medical device, which can improve health outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and eliminate risk of losing equipment.”
VirtuTrack’s real-time notifications enables DMEs to monitor unused high-cost equipment, such as noninvasive ventilators and negative pressure wound therapy, and immediately call patients to re-educate them on its proper use. The device will also allow DMEs to replace oxygen transfilling systems with more cost-effective gas portability systems for patients who do not require and/or use higher-cost equipment.
VirtuTrack can also tell DMEs when the equipment is lost. The device will ping the VirtuTrack portal every hour with its location. This benefit can save DMEs tens of thousands of dollars each year from not having to buy new equipment to add to the inventory of devices they lose, according to VirtuOx. Plus, DMEs can re-lease the equipment not in use and found, thereby boosting their revenues and profits.
Greg Arneaud, founder and CEO, of Trinidad-based ISD Health Solutions, says, “At first our home oxygen patients were very mobile outside their home and required many refills of oxygen so we delivered an expensive home transfilling oxygen system. Over time, their disease progressed and limited their mobility out of their home so they no longer used this equipment. Unfortunately, we had no way of knowing this so the equipment just sat there. We were always having to buy more of these expensive oxygen transfilling systems for new patients for the same scenario to occur. Now, with VirtuTrack we can monitor patient’s non-usage and deliver them regular cylinders and re-purpose the transfilling system to a new patient. We are now able to reduce our capital expense while still providing great service to our patients!”
