When it comes to computers and Internet use, home medical equipment providers are all business.

According to results from HomeCare's Forecast 2002 survey, which polled more than 350 HME providers about their computer and Internet use, providers use computers mainly as business tools. Computers are most used to process claims, according to 77 percent of respondents, followed by 75.6 percent of providers who say they use a computer for financial activities and reports. More than 69 percent of providers also use a computer to submit electronic claims, and 57.9 percent use a computer to manage inventory.

Interestingly, barely half of respondents — 52 percent — use computers to surf the Internet, despite more providers having Internet access. According to last year's survey, 56 percent of providers had Internet access. This year, 67 percent of providers are wired for the Web.

So what are providers doing on the Internet? Most — 81 percent — are e-mailing, with 68 percent saying they also use the Internet to research products. But, while product research is holding steady, there is a spike in the percentage of providers using the Web to research vendors. While only 2 percent of providers claimed in last year's survey to use the Internet to research vendors, more than 50 percent claim to be doing so this year.

However, there was one category where providers didn't hold true to their 2001 survey predictions: online product procurement. In last year's survey, more than 5 percent said they would be buying products online, but this year only 1.7 percent professed to use the Internet for this purpose. Nearly half of all providers — 46 percent — purchase products directly from the manufacturer, while 18 percent choose to buy through a distributor and 15 percent go through a buying group.

How do you use the Internet?

What do you use your computer for most?