Keeping Track of DME Utilization—Lessons Learned

ABSTRACT – Background: – Disability is a major problem facing older adults. Durable medical equipment (DME) is used to reduce disability. DME cost is projected to continue to grow. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a managed care program for individuals who live in the community while being nursing home eligible. The program's goal is to prevent or delay institutionalization by attending to participant's needs including the need for DME. The institution, through its interdisciplinary team, noticed that not all DME provided was used.Purpose: – To understand DME utilization for PACE participants, to identify barriers to use, and to assess financial costs associated with DME nonutilization.Method: – The institution developed a quality improvement project using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to assess and understand DME nonutilization.Results: – Although the financial goal of reducing costs related to DME nonutilization was not met, quality improvements were observed, including reduced barriers to utilization and changes in prescription patterns, indicating progress toward more appropriate and targeted DME use.Conclusions: – Barriers to DME utilization are complex. An educational session for the interdisciplinary team led to quality improvements and underscored the importance of a person-centered approach to prescribing, coordinated team interventions, and ongoing education and monitoring.