Medtrade Fall 2012

Respiratory and Sleep Spotlight

Showcase sessions, services and products for oxygen and sleep attendees.

The HME industry will descend upon the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta to attend the Medtrade 2012 Fall Conference and Expo, which runs from Oct. 15 to 18. Designed to give HME providers high-quality educational, networking and advocacy opportunities, Medtrade will feature about 600 exhibitors and 120 seminars, including a sleep, oxygen and respiratory track. Two preshow workshops aimed at the respiratory and sleep industry take place Mon., Oct. 15, followed by conference sessions running Tues., Oct. 16 and Wed., Oct. 17. Here’s a run down of what’s in store:

Business Solutions to Grow Your Business

This full-day workshop (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will cover how to increase revenues by maximizing cash sales, marketing to consumers, diversifying product offerings with out-of-center testing and autoPAP, and involving patients in the self-management of their PAP therapy. Sponsored by Philips Respironics.

Speakers include Kim Snyder, Senior Marketing Manager; Mary Beth Green, Senior Marketing Manager; and Cheryl Needham, Clinical Marketing Manager, Philips Respironics.
Seven hours of CEU credit are available.

Embracing the Business of Sleep

This workshop will explore emerging business opportunities that augment current HME services, such as HST, transportation, payer initiatives, oral appliances, resupply and more. Sponsored by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

Speaker: Dan Brown, Esq., Attorney at Law, The Health Law Partners, LLC


The Conference session track for respiratory and sleep include:

Low Flow O2 in Stable CHF: An Important Clinical & Business Intervention

Mon., Oct. 15, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a concerning diagnosis that leads to myriad clinical complications and associated healthcare costs. Patients with stable CHF often demonstrate nocturnal hypoxemia secondary to early Cheyne-Stokes Respiration (CSR), which often remains undetected until much more severe symptoms present, including significant sleep disruption, acute heart failure, and pulmonary edema. This session reviews the pathophysiology, home diagnostics, and treatment of this disorder.

Speaker: Joseph Lewarski, Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Invacare Corporation.

Conserving Oxygen — All the Same or Wildly Different?

Mon., Oct. 15, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

About 95 percent of your oxygen patients are on a conserving device. Understand the differences between the various methods of O2 conservers, what questions to ask, how to position with referrals, and any limitations that may exist.

Speaker: Richard Kocinski, VP, Business Development, Inovo/Chad.

Technology in a Patient-Centered Management Approach

Mon., Oct. 15, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Learn why your business needs to have a PAP compliance program, along with new technologies to assist in meeting your business model. Participants will learn the importance of compliance management, best practices in setting up a compliance program and what technologies can be utilized with the program.

Speakers: Jeff Marshall, Clinical Marketing Specialist, Philips Respironics, and Tony Ross, Marketing Manager, Philips Respironics.

Home Sleep Testing: Are You In or Out?

Mon., Oct. 15, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

More and more healthcare is occurring in the home, and sleep testing is no exception. What can the role of the HME be, and how do you determine if it is a fit for your company? What are the patient populations best suited for this model?

Speaker: Kelly J Riley, National Director of the Respiratory Network, MEDGroup.

Saving Face: How to Reduce Skin-Related Complication During Noninvasive Ventilation

Mon., Oct. 15, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Treatment of chronic respiratory failure with noninvasive ventilation in the home has increased over the past decade. With the development of nasal ventilation, it is much easier and costeffective for patients to safely use ventilatory support in the home. Noninvasive support is being provided not only at night but also during the day. This session will explore the current challenges of ventilating patients noninvasively for extended periods of time.

Speaker: Mary Schreck, Senior U.S. Marketing Manager, Philips Respironics.

Operational Efficiency in Home Oxygen Therapy: Changing the Paradigm

Tues., Oct. 16, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Competitive bidding and other reimbursement reductions have been the norm in homecare for nearly 20 years. Conversely, the home oxygen patient population is increasing and modern patients are more active. Surviving and thriving in this difficult environment requires a change in thinking and a change in business practice. This lecture reviews strategies and tactics for operating a successful home oxygen business that is clinically relevant and economically appropriate.

Speaker: Joseph Lewarski, Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Invacare Corp.

Advances in Non-Delivery Oxygen Devices: Science Versus Marketing Hype

Tues., Oct. 16, 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

The continued rapid introduction of new oxygen technology offers many choices to the HME providers. Central to their purchasing decision process is a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and limitations of each new oxygen technology based upon in vitro and in vivo studies. This presentation will discuss the technology and the science of pulse dose oxygen devices (PDOD), pulse dose oxygen devices/continuous flow devices (PDOD/CFOD) and oxygen filling systems. This knowledge will assist you in selecting the right product under competitive bidding.

Speaker: Tom Williams, Managing Director, Strategic Dynamics Inc.

Meeting Accreditation/Regulatory Requirements in 2013 for Oxygen Safety

Wed., Oct. 17, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

This dealer certification seminar is designed to help providers promote oxygen safety for employees and patients. It includes demonstrations of some of the hazards of oxygen and low-cost methods of preventing accidents and limiting liability. The seminar helps meet the 2013 DOT, FDA, and accreditation training requirements for owners, managers, RTs, and delivery techs for delivering oxygen.

Speaker: David Marquard, CEO & Owner, Applied Home Healthcare Equipment, LLC.

A Partnership of Patient Compliance and Profitability

Wed., Oct. 17, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

This program will help you grow your business by making patient setups easier and more productive for your clinicians. The result is increased patient compliance and increased/satisfied referrals.

Speaker: Beth Richey, Clinical Manager East, ResMed.

Boost Referrals and Differentiate Your Company by Helping Hospitals Reduce Their Re-Admission Rates

Wed., Oct. 17, 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

The cost to Medicare for hospital re-admissions within 30 days of discharge is staggering. Data suggests that at least three quarters of these re-admissions are preventable. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to reduce these costs by reducing Medicare payments to hospitals with excess hospital readmissions. Because hospitals and post-acute care services usually work in silos, they must adapt their business model to a coordinated continuum of care. This new approach will improve the overall quality of care, improve the health of populations, and reduce healthcare spending. This presentation will discuss how HMEs can take a leadership position and be a solution rather than an after-thought in the continuum of care that prevents hospital re-admissions for COPD and other disorders.

Speaker: Tom Williams, Managing Director, Strategic Dynamics Inc.

Maintaining Costs, Growing Business by Choosing the Right Mask for OSA Patients

Wed., Oct. 17, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This session will cover how to choose the right mask for PAP therapy users, keep them compliant to their therapy and grow your business.

Speaker: Cheryl Needham, Clinical Marketing Manager, Philips Respironics

This article originally appeared in the Respiratory & Sleep Management October 2012 issue of HME Business.

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