Program Improves Care for Patients with Chronic Conditions
Cincinnati Children’s launched its remote patient monitoring program in February 2017 with the mission to improve the outcomes and experience for patients with chronic conditions.
Patients and families self-report health information to their care team. Vital stats including blood pressure, weight, temperature, pulse and blood sugar are collected via Bluetooth-enabled devices and transmitted to care teams over the web.
Condition-specific electronic questionnaires are collected on a scheduled basis to get feedback on a patient’s current health. The data is reviewed by a team of registered nurses who partner with subspecialist providers to address any concerns.
Remote monitoring programs are currently offered for some patients with the following chronic conditions:
- New onset type 1 diabetes
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Adult congenital heart disease
- Cancer
Patients will be enrolled in remote monitoring at the direction of their doctor.
The benefits of remote monitoring include:
- Patients are engaged in their health, and that can result in better adherence to treatment plans (for example, taking medications as directed)
- Confidence for families learning new care for conditions knowing they have regular check-ins with supportive care team
- Reduced need for emergency room visits and inpatient stays if we can identify condition changes and enact treatment before conditions get worse