Page 18 - HME Business, March/April 2022

Providing Incontinence Service that Prioritizes Patient Dignity
Properly serving incontinence clients requires professionalism, care, discretion and understanding.
When a patient suffers from incontinence, he
or she is really suffer-
ing from two things;
the negative impact that their physical condition is having on their lives, and
the frustration and embarrassment they feel from an emotional standpoint. Our youth obsessed popular culture has done an excellent job of stigmatizing and mocking the condition of incontinence to the point that people with the condition don’t want to talk about it — at all.
Which is surprising from a statistical standpoint, because the population of American incontinence sufferers is large. At least 25 million adult Americans suffer from some form of urinary incontinence, according to the National Association for Continence. Think about that: more than 12 percent of the U.S. population has some form of incontinence.
Moreover, women comprise 75 percent of that population. A massive segment of the U.S. population has a medical condition that they find too embarrassing to discuss.
If there was ever a moment where HME providers can establish their busi- nesses as safe sources for effective prod- ucts that are backed by knowledgeable service, and where patients can safely review and discuss those solutions, then they will create client relationships that can last a lifetime. Here are some ways to make that happen:
PROVIDE COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
A provider must provide a full range of so- lutions so that they can become a one-stop shop. Adult diapers, catheters, lubricants, cleaning products, and underpads for chairs and mattresses are key items. And there is a large variety of offerings within those categories to suit individual needs.
For instance, a men’s catheter that works for one patient might not work for another, either due to style, material, physiology, comfort, size, or some other factor. (Again, we are talking about very personal solutions.)
Make sure you stock enough items to cover all your patients’ needs. Regularly monitor your vendors to know the new
options available, as the field of inconti- nence is constantly evolving.
OFFER COMMUNITY OUTREACH
A big problem for many incontinence patients is a complete lack of awareness re- garding their condition. Many incontinence patients go for long periods of time without being diagnosed. The average wait time between symptoms and getting a diagnosis for incontinence is over six years. Moreover, those patients are likely to address their conditions on their own, randomly buying various products and trying them out in hope of finding an viable solution.
This all comes from a lack of awareness that your business can easily fix. Engage in various types of community outreach to key communities that are likely to suffer from incontinence. While most inconti- nence sufferers aren’t going to line up for a free seminar, public service awareness campaigns using a mix of traditional and new media are a great way to reach those people to let them know that there is a helpful, discrete service provider offering solutions to their problems.
EDUCATE YOUR REFERRALS
While incontinence is both a funded and a retail business, your referring physicians and other referral sources can drive a solid amount of business to a door. The key is to educate them in much the same way you educate your patients. Many of your referral sources are not up-to-date on what’s available.
This is your opportunity to set up an in- service or some other educational event in order demonstrate the range of solutions you offer, and establish yourself as an expert resource to whom they can direct their patients. Given that your referring physicians are in need of various treat- ments for their incontinence patients, but might not be aware of all the options avail- able, they will appreciate having a product expert with whom they can collaborate in
10 DME Pharmacy | April 2022
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