Every durable medical equipment (DME) delivery has three jobs: get the equipment to the patient on time, keep the hospital or hospice that ordered it informed, and capture the documentation insurers need. Most routing tools are built mainly for the first job, getting the equipment there on time. The other two usually depend on phone calls and on drivers remembering every step.
That can work with a small, experienced team. It gets much harder once fill-in drivers, new locations, and same-day discharges enter the picture. This article looks at how to keep all three jobs on track as your operation grows, and what to look for in DME delivery management software.
Quick answer: How can durable medical equipment (DME) providers manage delivery at scale?
- Set clear rules for fitting same-day discharge orders into routes that are already planned, and flag installs or two-person deliveries when the order is created, so scheduled deliveries stay on time.
- Give hospitals and hospices a way to see where their delivery is and when it’s done, so your team isn’t chasing drivers for updates and relaying them through phone calls and group chats.
- Define what each type of DME delivery must capture for insurers, such as a signature, serial number, and photo, and make sure no delivery can be closed without it. Record failed deliveries and returned equipment too.
- When choosing delivery management software for DME, look for automatic assignment of urgent orders, tracking links for hospitals and hospices, and proof of delivery steps you can make mandatory by delivery type.
Get equipment to the patient on time
The hard part of on-time DME delivery is fitting same-day discharge orders into routes already built around scheduled refills and exchanges. Every same-day order, and every install that runs long, can push back the scheduled deliveries behind it.
Set rules for assigning same-day discharge orders
When a hospital discharges a patient who needs equipment at home today, the dispatcher has to find room for that delivery on a route.
Without a set approach, they often add it to whichever route seems closest or send a driver out separately. Both get the urgent delivery done, but neither shows which other patients will now get their equipment late. Sending an extra driver also adds fuel and labor costs, and uses driver capacity you’d planned for other deliveries.
Setting rules in advance helps, such as which routes can take urgent orders and how late other stops are allowed to run. But the dispatcher still has to decide where each order fits while the day is underway, and that manual decision is often where delays start.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution with auto-dispatch, which assigns urgent orders to a driver automatically based on factors like location, route workload, and delivery windows. Many routing tools leave this step to the dispatcher, so it’s worth asking about directly. Predictive arrival times and late-delivery alerts are also worth looking for, so dispatchers can see which stops are at risk while there’s still time to act.
Flag installs and two-person deliveries when the order is created
A supply drop-off and a bed install with patient training are both one stop on a route, but they take very different amounts of time. When the schedule gives them the same time, every arrival time after the install ends up wrong.
Heavy equipment adds another problem: if nobody flags it, a solo driver may arrive at a delivery that needs two people. Recording these details when the order is created lets the dispatcher plan for them before assigning a driver.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution with custom fields on the order. Whoever creates the order can mark it as an install or a two-person delivery, and that information follows the order to the dispatcher and the driver. Without custom fields, these details often end up in free-text notes or phone calls that are easy to miss.
Keep the hospital or hospice informed
Status calls from hospitals and hospices can take up a large part of your office’s day. When a discharge coordinator can’t see where the equipment is, they call your office, and someone has to reach the driver and call them back.
Letting them check the status themselves, both while the equipment is on the way and after it’s set up, cuts out much of that back-and-forth.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution that can send live tracking links to people outside your team, such as the discharge coordinator, hospice nurse, or patient. They should be able to open the link without a login, and the arrival time should update as the route moves.
Also look for automatic notifications when a delivery is completed, with a photo of the installed equipment and no patient health information exposed. Not every routing tool can share tracking with outside parties, so check this early if status calls take up a lot of your team’s time.
Capture the documentation insurers need on every delivery
Documentation gaps are easy to miss. A delivery can arrive on time and the patient can be set up correctly, while the record is still missing a signature or serial number. Often nobody notices until an insurer reviews the claim, and by then you may have to return the payment.
Write down what each type of delivery must capture
Most teams know what insurers require, but experienced drivers often carry the details in their heads. Writing the requirements down for each type of delivery turns them into something you can check and enforce. A hospital bed install might call for a signature, a serial number scan, a photo of the installed bed, and confirmation that the patient was shown how to use it. A supply drop-off might only need a signature and a photo.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution with configurable proof of delivery, where you set different required steps for each delivery type, plus custom fields for anything else your insurers ask for. Some tools use the same proof of delivery settings for every stop, so you can’t require more on a bed install than on a supply drop-off.
Make those steps required in the driver app
Training and reminders help, but they’re hard to keep consistent as new drivers and locations come on. Records are most complete when a driver can’t finish a delivery without capturing each required step.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution where proof of delivery steps can be made mandatory, so the driver app won’t let a delivery close until the signature, barcode scan, and photo are captured.
Many routing tools let drivers skip these steps and still mark the delivery complete. Photos taken inside the app and stamped with the time and location also show exactly where and when the delivery happened.
Record failed deliveries and returned equipment
Some deliveries fail because the patient isn’t home or refuses the equipment. When that happens, the driver should note why. Dispatch can then reschedule the same day, and you have a record if the hospital or an insurer asks later. Rented equipment that comes back needs a record too, so you know which unit came from which patient.
What to look for in DME delivery software: Consider a solution that lets drivers mark a delivery as failed with a note dispatch sees right away, and that supports barcode scanning at pickup as well as drop-off. It should also let you export each delivery’s full history on demand, so an audit request doesn’t turn into days of piecing records together.
How Onfleet supports durable medical equipment delivery
Onfleet is an AI-powered delivery orchestration platform that helps durable medical equipment (DME) providers get equipment to patients on time, keep hospitals and hospices informed, and capture the documentation insurers need on every delivery.
- Urgent orders. Onfleet’s auto-dispatch feature assigns same-day discharge orders to a driver automatically, based on driver location, route workload, and delivery windows. Arrival times then update for every stop, and dispatchers get an alert if a delivery is at risk of running late.
- Hospital and hospice updates. You can send the hospital, hospice, or patient a live tracking link that opens without a login. When the delivery is completed, they get a notification with a photo of the equipment. Notifications don’t expose patient health information.
- Complete records. You choose which proof of delivery steps each delivery type requires, such as a signature, a barcode scan of the serial number, or a photo. The driver app won’t let a delivery be marked complete until each step is done, and photos are stamped with the time and GPS location.
- Custom fields. Dispatchers can add details to an order, such as a two-person flag. Drivers can be required to fill in fields at drop-off, such as equipment condition or confirmation that the patient was trained.
- Failed deliveries and returns. Drivers can mark a delivery as failed and add a note explaining why. Equipment is scanned at pickup as well as drop-off, so you can see which unit came back from which patient.
- Internal drivers and delivery partners. Your own drivers and third-party delivery partners work from one dashboard, with the same proof of delivery requirements. Onfleet Connect gives you access to 150+ vetted couriers when you need extra capacity.
- Security and your billing system. Onfleet is SOC 2 Type II certified, with a BAA available for HIPAA-covered data. It runs alongside your billing system, with orders brought in by CSV import or API.
How Fair Ortho Logistics keeps healthcare deliveries on time, documented, and visible to clients
Fair Ortho Logistics is a healthcare final-mile courier. It moves orthopedic implants, surgical instruments, and lab specimens for medical device companies, labs, and pharmacies. Before Onfleet, the team dispatched through a 20-person group chat, and drivers filled in manual forms after each run. Sales reps needed live updates, so dispatchers had to relay every message between them and the drivers.
With Onfleet, routes go straight to the driver app, and clients get automatic status updates with photo proof of delivery. Since 2021, Fair Ortho has maintained 99% delivery accuracy and expanded from Connecticut into Massachusetts and New York on the same platform.
Their story shows clearly what changes when dispatch, drivers, and the people waiting on a delivery work from one system. Read the full Fair Ortho Logistics case study.
If your team is still chasing missing signatures and fielding status calls, talk to our sales team. We’ll show you how Onfleet would work with your routes, your documentation requirements, and the hospitals and hospices you serve. Or keep exploring how Onfleet supports medical device delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions About DME Delivery Management
What should DME proof of delivery include?
Proof of delivery for durable medical equipment (DME) usually includes the patient’s or caregiver’s signature, the serial number of the equipment delivered, and the date and time of delivery. Some insurers and accreditation bodies ask for more, such as a photo of the installed equipment, so it’s worth checking each payer’s requirements. Onfleet lets DME providers set these as required steps for each delivery type, so a driver can’t mark a delivery complete until the signature, barcode scan, and photo are captured.
How should DME providers record a failed or refused delivery?
DME providers should record a failed or refused delivery with the reason it failed, the time of the attempt, and the location. This lets dispatch reschedule the delivery the same day and gives the provider a record if the hospital, hospice, or an insurer asks what happened. In Onfleet, drivers can mark a delivery as failed and add a note, and dispatchers see the failed delivery flagged on their dashboard right away.
How can DME providers handle same-day hospital discharges without delaying other deliveries?
DME providers can handle same-day hospital discharges without delaying other deliveries by managing urgent and planned deliveries in the same system, so they can see how each new order affects the routes already running. Onfleet’s auto-dispatch feature assigns same-day discharge orders to a driver automatically, based on driver location, route workload, and delivery windows, and alerts dispatchers when other deliveries are at risk of running late.
Can Onfleet work alongside a DME billing system like Brightree?
Yes, Onfleet can work alongside DME billing systems like Brightree and NikoHealth. Many DME providers keep their billing platform as the system of record for claims and use Onfleet for delivery management. Orders can be brought into Onfleet through a CSV export from the billing system or through the Onfleet API, so billing stays where it is.
How long does it take to roll out delivery management software for a DME operation?
Rolling out delivery management software for a DME operation usually depends on the number of locations, how orders come in from your billing system, and how many drivers need to be trained. Many teams start with one location or region, confirm their workflows and proof of delivery steps, and then expand. Onfleet provides guided onboarding with a dedicated customer success rep, and its driver app is one of the highest-rated in last-mile delivery, at 4.8 out of 5 with more than 8,000 ratings across the Apple App Store and Google Play. At healthcare courier Fair Ortho Logistics, new drivers are ready to go within a few minutes of downloading it.