Philips Respironics is taking strategic steps to reach more patients and provide them with the products and therapies they need and may otherwise have difficulty accessing. The first step in this new initiative is a relaunch of Philips’ patient education website COPDinfo.com. New information and functionality have been added to the enhanced site to provide a better user experience. The site now links to their new e-commerce health store: healthstore.philips.com.
The new more robust website features a zip code based locator tool easily connecting patients/consumers to DMEs to purchase select Philips respiratory products either as cash or non-reimbursed purchases or insured reimbursed billed services. “We’re facing a new type of consumer who is increasingly seeking information and solutions online, and often from manufacturers,” said Eli Diacopoulos, global respiratory care leader at Philips. “This increases awareness and access to Philips products, and makes it easier to find a local DME and for select customers not served by a DME to make purchases.”
For the first time in its history, Philips will offer portable oxygen concentrators (like SimplyGo Mini) and nebulizers (Inspire) directly to patients where DMEs prefer not to offer or are unable to offer cash sales or non-reimbursed product purchases. “It’s important to note that the pricing on the website is set to a premium, to our MAP (minimum advertised price) pricing that exists today,” Diacopoulos said. “This is not to compete with DMEs.”
Beginning in July 2018, the Respirtech inCourage Vest System was made available to select DME customers. Philips acquired Respirtech August 2017. Also, in July, services for its CoughAssist product were expanded through Respirtech.
These new initiatives come as a result of the success that a competing portable oxygen company had marketing directly to consumers. Diacopoulos stated, “We are stepping up our game to enter this space and support the consumer and our DME customers.”
Be the first to comment