Check-In (Equipment Return)

A check-in is the recorded event that brings a DME unit back into the supplier's inventory from a patient or facility. It captures: which unit, which patient it came from, the return date, the condition on arrival, who received it, and what the next step is (typically reprocessing).

In TrackDME, staff confirm **Receive return** on the rental and record Ready, Cleaning, or Repair. An equipment or company cleaning rule can force a Cleaning hold even when Ready is selected. Scanning the unit alone does not record its return or begin that hold.

A confirmed return updates the physical rental record and its availability. It does not automatically stop an invoice or claim in the supplier's billing system. Reconcile the return date and any capped-rental rules there.

Prompt check-in recording is one of the most common operational gaps in DME businesses. Returns often arrive unannounced, a family member drops off a bed frame, or a nursing facility leaves equipment in the lobby, and may sit in the receiving area for hours or days before being logged. Every hour without a check-in record is an hour where the supplier doesn't know the unit is back.