Page 20 - HME Business, February 2018

Harvesting HME Claims and Patient Data
“It’s 2018. Most
realistic call to
actions will have a
trackable measure-
ment associated
with them. This
will require proper
setup of campaign-speci c landing pages, phone numbers, analytics, etc. And most importantly, they will have
to be monitored.”
— Christina Throndson, VGM Forbin
post-sale customer journey that will include the different forms of communication with common behavior the provider has identi ed as a trend.”
Throndson said the marketing path may include: • Email marketing.
• Social media advertising on platforms such as
Facebook and Youtube.
• Providing valuable information to the user’s needs (for example, how to clean your CPAP with a call out to a CPAP cleaner).
• Remarketing advertising (not available on mediums such as Google AdWords for prescrip- tion products).
• Search engine advertising to those users who are on related sites or searches.
“You want a plan that makes sense for your users based on what they want and need, keeping in mind ‘what’s in it for them,’” she notes. “If those users don’t see a bene t, it’s not of value to you. You need to catch them in their moment of interest or drive the interest with content that is found to be of great value.”
Throndson also points out that in the process, providers will want to test and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. While building a plan or path, do not lose track of a realistic goal in the form of measurement that will display success. Providers would love to have thousands of dollars in sales, leads, etc., but you’ll need to stay logical; it may take a month or two for you to form a benchmark to see what those expecta-
tions will be before you can set a realistic goal. “When those measurements are completed via a call, online visit, etc., make sure you have
tracking attached to those measurements without having to ask, ‘How did you hear about us?’” she says. “It’s 2018. Most realistic call
to actions will have a trackable measurement associated with them. This will require proper setup of campaign-speci c landing pages, phone numbers, analytics, etc. And most importantly, they will have to be monitored. Make sure you are watching what works and what doesn’t to know what needs to be adjusted to grow your success.”
IN-STORE DATA COLLECTION
As consumers, Anderson pointed out that we’ve become used to probative questions at check out, but in the DME world, providers must be cautious collecting data from patients during a retail transaction.
“What we do is often very personal and private for our customers, and at the end of that transac- tion the last thing we want is for them to feel like we are willing to violate their privacy to make a buck,” she says.
Anderson suggested that providers collect:
• Email addresses and text alert permission: Do
you want to be reminded of appointments,
re lls, and documentation needs?
• When do they like to be contacted? How do
they like to be contacted?
• How would they like to handle repeat business?
Do they like coming in or would they rather order via phone, email or text? Do they need reminders when supplies get low?
Finally, there is a lot of data collection prece- dent so even if you are just starting out, there are many sources to tap for further understanding.
“Walmart knows the ROI on every single item they sell,” Bailey says. “They know the oor space cost not only of the oor but the space on the shelf. The ROI drives all their decisions on what to sell, where to display, etc. Grocery stores, drug- stores, and Amazon all know these things as well. They collect personal data in various ways.
“The important thing is that DME providers must recognize that they must stay up to date with these methods of data collection, or they will fall behind and be trampled by retailers who understand the importance of data-driven deci- sions,” he says. “This is a paradigm shift. The models exist. The software exists. Providers just need to jump on board.” n
THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF USING DATA FOR MARKETING
Jeffrey S. Baird, Esq., is Chairman of the Health Care Group, Brown & Fortunato, P.C. The Health Care Group represents an extensive client base of HME companies, pharmacies, hos- pitals and other health care providers throughout the United States. HME Business recently asked Baird some questions about data-driven marketing.
HME BUSINESS: What is your overall opinion regarding providers using patient and claims data for marketing? How important for business growth is patient and claims data collection?
BAIRD: It goes without saying that it is much more cost-effective for a DME supplier to cross- sell to existing customers than to obtain new customers. The two most important assets that a DME supplier has are its ‘brand’ and its relationship to its current and former customers.
If a customer trusts the supplier to purchase or rent Product A from the supplier, then the customer will feel comfortable in purchasing Products B, C and D from the supplier. Products B, C and D do not have to be Medicare-covered items; in fact, Products B, C and D do not even have to be healthcare items. And so the DME supplier needs to collect and study information about its customers and ‘build a pro le’ of its customers. With this information in mind, the supplier can offer multiple products and services (often for cash) to its customers.
HME BUSINESS: What are the legal implications providers must adhere to when collecting patient and claims data to be used for marketing?
BAIRD: The DME supplier needs to be aware of the HIPAA marketing restrictions. HIPAA prohibits a supplier from using or disclosing a customer’s ‘protected health information’ (or PHI) unless such use/disclosure falls within a HIPAA exception. These exceptions include: the use/disclosure pertains to a healthcare product/service provided by the supplier; the use/disclosure pertains to products/services provided by another supplier/provider for the purposes of healthcare treatment and/or care coordination of the customer...and the sup- plier (using or disclosing the PHI) receives no remuneration for such use/disclosure; or the customer has given his/her prior written consent for such use/disclosure.
It is important for DME suppliers to lessen their dependence on Medicare. An important way to do this is to sell products and/or provide services for cash. In doing so, the supplier needs to be aware of HIPAA restrictions regarding the use/disclosure of PHI.
20 HMEBusiness |February 2018 | hme-business.com
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Joseph Duffy is a freelance writer and marketing consultant, and he is a regular contributor to HME Business and its supple- ments. He can be reached via e-mail at joe@prooferati.com.