Community Health Systems’ implementation of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) with Cadence has led to improved chronic condition outcomes, enhanced patient engagement, and reduced clinicians’ workload. Over 60 clinics and 120 providers have enrolled 3,000 active patients, achieving positive results with evidence-based therapies. Integration with existing workflows and a proactive, preventive approach has contributed to successful RPM adoption. The program aims to double or triple patient usage while maintaining excellent care and provider satisfaction, demonstrating a 14% decrease in the total cost of care with other ACOs.
Community Health Systems have significantly improved chronic condition outcomes through the implementation of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). This technology has effectively boosted patient engagement, enhanced the quality of patient care by employing evidence-based therapies, and reduced the workload for clinicians.
Community Health Systems operates a vast network comprising more than 80 affiliated hospitals and over 1,000 outpatient care sites across 16 states. To address the challenges posed by chronic diseases, the health system set three primary goals:
1. Enhance patient outcomes by actively monitoring and managing patients with chronic conditions, with a particular emphasis on remote medication titration to align with treatment guidelines.
2. Extend primary care services by implementing day-to-day monitoring, advanced technologies, and early intervention capabilities when necessary.
3. Provide patients with peace of mind and assurance that their conditions are being appropriately managed.
Dr. Eric Cheung, a family medicine specialist based in Foley, Alabama, and serving as the chief of staff for South Baldwin Regional Medical Center and clinic medical director for South Baldwin Medical Group, highlighted the difficulties faced by patients with chronic conditions in accessing frequent primary care visits for proper monitoring and follow-ups. To address these challenges, they sought a comprehensive solution that not only offered additional patient support but also efficiently triaged cases that required direct physician intervention from those that did not.
Upon evaluating remote patient monitoring vendors, Community Health Systems found Cadence’s total partnership model to be the most suitable. Cadence provided a clinical care team alongside monitoring technology, allowing for human interactions and vital sign monitoring. The technology seamlessly integrated into the existing Electronic Health Records (EHR) workflows, facilitating provider adoption. Moreover, the financial model ensured successful program deployment on a large scale, accommodating both fee-for-service and value-based arrangements.
The implementation of the Community Health Systems Care Management at Home program, in partnership with Cadence, began in April 2022 in Arkansas and some Alabama markets. Since then, the program has achieved remarkable results:
– Over 60 clinics and more than 120 participating providers have enrolled more than 3,000 patients actively.
– Patient engagement has significantly increased, with over 80% of patients using Cadence devices for at least 16 days a month. An impressive 84% of patients agreed that the program provides high-quality medical care in an easy-to-understand manner.
– Patient outcomes have improved through evidence-based therapies, resulting in better medication adherence, and a decrease in preventable acute episodes, and hospitalizations. For example, hypertension management program participants with systolic blood pressure above 160 experienced an average decline of nearly 25 points in the first 16 weeks of the program.
– The workload of clinicians has been reduced significantly, as the Cadence team manages daily monitoring, triages alerts, and employs data-driven decision-making. The majority of patient alerts are effectively managed without escalating to the primary care provider, with approximately five alerts requiring escalation per 100 patients per month.
– The cost of care across the continuum has decreased, with a 14% decrease in the total cost of care observed with other Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
Dr. Lynn T. Simon, the president of clinical services and chief medical officer at Community Health Systems, emphasized the proactive and preventive approach of the Cadence platform, providing greater peace of mind to patients with chronic conditions and actionable data to their care providers. Simon also stressed the importance of encouraging adoption among physicians by identifying champions within medical directors and building trust through data and positive experiences shared by other physicians.
Additionally, integrating remote monitoring and care management at the point of care was crucial to maximizing the program’s clinical value. Streamlining patient communications and onboarding processes played a significant role in overall adoption. Simon advised that integration with the EHR is preferable when outsourcing care delivery to ensure real-time access to patient information by clinicians and care teams.
Overall, Community Health Systems’ partnership with Cadence and their successful RPM implementation have led to significant improvements in patient outcomes, provider satisfaction, and cost-effective care delivery. The health system is poised for further growth, aiming to double or even triple the number of patients using RPM while maintaining high-quality care and outcomes.
