How RPM Technology Can Be Used To Reduce Rehospitalization Rates

How RPM Technology Can Be Used To Reduce Rehospitalization Rates Jiang Li, Forbes Councils Member

Jiang Li, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Vivalink, Inc.

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The versatility of remote patient monitoring (RPM) has enabled healthcare providers to significantly improve the management of various medical applications, ranging from monitoring cardiac arrhythmia, chronic conditions and post-chemotherapy to preventing rehospitalizations.

As a result, RPM technology is proving to be particularly valuable in managing conditions like febrile neutropenia, which accounts for over 5% of all cancer-related hospitalizations. (Febrile neutropenia is the occurrence of a fever in a patient with an abnormally low amount of neutrophils [a type of white blood cell] in their blood.)

Despite existing guidelines and risk calculators, many patients with febrile neutropenia—often experienced by chemotherapy patients or those with compromised immune systems—continue to be admitted to the hospital, leading to substantial healthcare costs. Hospitalizations related to febrile neutropenia total $2.3 billion annually among adults.

It’s clear that RPM technology adoption is on the rise, and it’s driving substantial improvements in patient monitoring and condition management. To assess RPM's usage within healthcare facilities, my company surveyed more than 100 healthcare professionals regarding their perspectives on the current technology. Findings revealed that 81% of medical professionals leverage RPM to track patients' vital signs and monitor recovery progress.

The technology offers healthcare providers the potential to substantially reduce rehospitalizations, improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Its ability to provide continuous and real-time data is particularly valuable for patients at a high risk of infection.

By remotely tracking patients' vital signs and recovery progress, healthcare providers can detect critical conditions early, enabling them to take proactive measures and improve patient outcomes.

Redefining Febrile Neutropenia Treatment Through Continuous Monitoring

Notably, RPM offers advantages over traditional methods that rely on spot checks and episodic measurements to manage neutropenic fever. Continuous monitoring enables early detection of patient deterioration by providing healthcare professionals with a steady stream of real-time data.

A study focusing on neutropenic fever found that remote monitoring of temperature, heart rate and oxygen saturation provided real-time, valuable feedback to healthcare providers. The findings indicate that applying this system to high-risk patients in the outpatient setting can prevent the need for additional healthcare services through early provider intervention and potentially lead to improved outcomes.

For patients with compromised immune systems or undergoing chemotherapy, continuous monitoring offers a safer and more convenient approach to healthcare management by closely tracking their health status without frequent visits to healthcare facilities, reducing exposure to potential infections.

Continuous monitoring also generates vast data, enabling in-depth statistical analysis. With higher frequency data collection than traditional temperature checks, medical professionals can better understand a patient's health status, enabling timely and well-informed actions.

Leveraging RPM For Cytokine Release Syndrome Management

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is another critical condition that has benefited from continuous remote patient monitoring. CRS is an immune response triggered by specific treatments, such as immunotherapy or CAR T-cell therapy, which releases large amounts of cytokines into the bloodstream. Excessive cytokine release can cause severe and potentially life-threatening symptoms for patients, including high fever, low blood pressure and organ dysfunction.

With continuous monitoring, healthcare providers can closely track the patient's vital signs and cytokine levels in real time, enabling early detection of CRS onset and prompt intervention. By identifying CRS at its early stages, medical teams can administer appropriate treatments, such as immunosuppressive therapies, to mitigate its impact and prevent further complications.

Navigating Patient Compliance And Monitoring Logistics In RPM

While RPM has emerged as a promising approach to monitoring patients' health from a distance, like any technological medical solution, it does come with its own set of limitations and challenges.

For neutropenic fever patients, maintaining patient engagement with RPM is crucial. Patients experiencing neutropenic fever are particularly vulnerable to infections due to low white blood cell counts, making early detection vital. However, some patients may feel fatigued or unwell and find it difficult to consistently interact with their devices. Ensuring proper adherence to monitoring routines can be challenging, impacting data reliability and assessment accuracy.

Plus, chemotherapy patients can be treated in a variety of locations, including an outpatient clinic or a hospital, creating complexity in monitoring logistics. Logistical hurdles can arise during transitions between treatment phases or locations. Seamless integration of RPM into treatment plans requires coordination between healthcare providers and patients.

Similarly, ensuring patient compliance and managing monitoring logistics are important factors in monitoring CRS patients. CRS can escalate rapidly. Similar to those experiencing neutropenic fever, patients undergoing immunotherapy for CRS might experience flu-like symptoms or fatigue, affecting their engagement with monitoring devices. Educating patients on the correct usage of the devices and emphasizing the importance of consistent monitoring enhances RPM effectiveness.

Logistical considerations are also critical in CRS. Immunotherapy treatments often involve multiple steps, such as recurrent infusions and regular follow-ups. Coordinating the use of monitoring devices during these phases and ensuring data transmission to healthcare providers requires careful planning. As immunotherapy treatments are administered at different intervals, maintaining a continuous monitoring schedule is imperative for effective CRS management.

Transforming Healthcare Across Diverse Settings

While continuous monitoring has considerably improved the management of conditions like neutropenic fever and CRS, healthcare leaders should also recognize the significant impact RPM has had in other areas of healthcare.

Continuous glucose monitoring, successfully implemented for years, enables healthcare providers to track a patient's blood glucose levels and make timely adjustments to their treatment plan. RPM has also enabled cardiologists to capture continuous ECG rhythms from patients, allowing early detection of atrial fibrillation transformation.

As providers consider adopting RPM systems, seeking solutions that can cater to multiple therapeutic areas simultaneously is imperative, eliminating the need for separate systems for each condition. Embracing a versatile platform streamlines monitoring processes and optimizes resource allocation, improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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