DLCO and reimbursement for point-of-care testing
Lung health screening is a crucial first step for diagnosing chronic respiratory conditions. Thousands of pulmonologists and primary care physicians enjoy the flexibility and consistency of their EasyOne portable spirometers to determine if an obstruction exists within their patients’ lungs.
While these robust and consistent spirometers are user friendly and offer a plethora of benefits, they are not the best tool for diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis**(IPF), asthma, or other chronic pulmonary diseases.**
The question that many cost-savvy medical providers consider is what does a more expensive EasyOne Pro with DLCO device offer that the EasyOne Air spirometer cannot? What is the technology found in the Pro that makes it better than others? Finally, are there financial benefits to expanding lung health screening?
Why is DLCO needed to improve PFT testing and accuracy? #
To diagnose COPD and other respiratory diseases, medical professionals must use complete pulmonary function testing (PFT) devices, such as the EasyOne Pro LAB. This equipment is designed to measure total lung capacity (TLC) or functional residual capacity (FRC) – which provides the medical professional with a solid baseline of critical data.
However, the diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) or the transfer factor allows them to pinpoint a diagnosis and accurately track the lungs’ overall health.
Why the EasyOne Pro and EasyOne Pro LAB? #
DLCO testing is one of the multiple tests offered by the EasyOne Pro and EasyOne Pro LAB PFT devices. These potent solutions offer portable DLCO, lung volumes, and spirometry tests – allowing respiratory professionals to have an all-inclusive, lightweight, and extremely accurate solution for all lung function testing solutions.
The EasyOne Pro and EasyOne Pro LAB have been designed with ndd Medical Technologies TrueFlow™ and TrueCheck™ technology. The inclusion of this technology removes the need for continual calibration, saves time, and leverages multiple tools that streamline PFT and DLCO testing.
Further, the compact design of these two robust PFT devices makes them functional in offices of all sizes – with no compromise in quality of testing or delay in producing consistent results. DLCO offers respiratory professionals a multitude of services to better serve patients in need, including:
- DLCO is the most powerful predictor of survival in patients with COPD.
- DLCO is used as an indicator of lung disease severity.
- DLCO can show comorbidity of COPD in heart failure in patients.
- DLCO assesses the hospitalization risk in a COPD patient.
- DLCO helps detect drug-induced lung disease.
- DLCO is useful as an early indicator for detecting interstitial lung disease before lung volumes become decreased.
Are there financial benefits to DLCO upgrades? #
Healthcare providers are often tasked to find medical equipment that offers value to the facility. In laymen’s terms – is there is a financial benefit to buying a more expensive device, and if so, how soon will it produce a return on investment?
Changes to U.S. Medicare reimbursement that have expanded respiratory health services have made it easier than ever for healthcare offices to bill – with quicker payments made to the provider.
Understanding ROI from DLCO test reimbursements #
Using the EasyOne Pro or EasyOne Pro LAB can pay for itself in a matter of months – generating profit for the facility with each additional service.
- Increase return on investment (ROI) with more comprehensive tests, including bronchodilation responsiveness, pulmonary stress testing, DLCO, and more.
- The reimbursements available with EasyOne Pro LAB testing are three times higher than those offered solely through spirometry.
- DLCO and POC keep the patient in-house more often – which avoids reliance on traditional PFT labs. This is a huge benefit to your patients’ safety and helps develop stronger relationships and trust with them.
It costs nothing to ask questions #
There are times when spending a little extra on technology and equipment that streamline respiratory screening and improve patient care simply makes sense.
The EasyOne Pro and EasyOne Pro LAB are two PFT devices that can likewise add financial strength and deliver a continual return on investment for years.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits and technology ingrained in the EasyOne Pro or EasyOne Pro LAB, simply hit Request Info at the top of the page, or book a virtual demo and a member of our team will reply to you very shortly.
Written by
Tim Charlet
Right2Breathe