A new and innovative remote patient monitoring (RPM) program for people with chronic conditions is being scaled across CHS-affiliated clinics with the goal of helping patients get well, live healthier and stay out of the hospital. Care Management at Home, powered by Cadence, helps patients dealing with hypertension, heart failure, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through daily monitoring and early intervention.
Enrolled patients are given easy to use cellular-enabled devices, such as blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, weight scales or glucometers to capture daily vital information. At home, patients have 24/7 access to care from Cadence clinicians who provide day-to-day monitoring and virtual care support, extending the health services provided by CHS practices.
The program was piloted by providers in Foley, Alabama and Northwest Arkansas, and will deploy to more practices this year and next. Primary care physicians, first up to use the program, have reported that the partnership with Cadence is easy to implement, provides an extra layer of day-to-day support for their patients, and is already helping achieve better outcomes.
“We now have a tool for us to see how our patients are doing in-between visits and to provide more real-time intervention,” says Eric Cheung, M.D., medical director of South Baldwin Medical Group. “Patients are happy because they’re in touch with a clinical professional more often, they feel more connected to our practice and that they’re not alone in their care.”
Within the first four months, the pilot programs have enrolled 285 patients, many of whom report very high engagement and satisfaction.
According to Cadence Medical Director Randy Curnow, M.D., within the first eight weeks of the pilot, there was a 10 point reduction in systolic blood pressure among patients enrolled in the hypertension program.
Dr. Scott Musick, medical director of Northwest Medical Group in Northwest Arkansas says his patients have greater peace of mind since enrolling in Care Management at Home because they know a clinician is keeping an eye on any concerning health changes.
“Most of them have been taking their blood pressure and watching their weight anyways,” he says. “It’s just a comfort to know, for a lot of them, that it is being monitored. It’s not just up to them to make a decision about what to do with that information.”
To learn more about Care Management at Home, listen to the latest episode of the Cadence Conversations podcast featuring Dr. Eric Cheung and Dr. Scott Musick. Click here to listen.