This week’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) research article summarizes two recent studies examining the impact of remote patient monitoring technology on hospital readmission rates for cardiac patients. The findings highlight how remote patient monitoring solutions work to improve patient outcomes while reducing the burden on healthcare systems.
Tackling the High Hospital Readmission Rate
Hospital readmission rates are a major issue facing the healthcare industry today, with costs and penalties for facilities with high readmission rates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented programs like the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) to reduce rehospitalizations.
The program adjusts reimbursement rates based on a facility’s readmission rates after discharging patients. According to preliminary data, more hospitals are expected to face CMS readmission penalties in fiscal year (FY) 2024.
For fiscal year 2024, 70.1% of hospitals will receive penalties of less than 1% of their readmissions, compared to 67.1% in FY 2023. Additionally, 7.5% of hospitals will receive 1% or more penalties in 2024. The average penalty for hospitals serving higher proportions of Medicare/Medicaid patients is projected to increase from 0.23% in FY 2023 to 0.29% in FY 2024.
Data on Readmissions
According to data from Definitive Healthcare, the average all-cause hospital readmission rate in the U.S. is 14.5%, ranging from 11.2% to 22.3% by state. States with the highest readmission rates tend to have larger hospitals with more annual discharges and Medicare patients. Massachusetts tops the list at 15.3%, followed by Florida, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, all over 15%.
Factors like older patient populations with more chronic conditions and comorbidities likely contribute to higher readmission risk. In contrast, Hawaii has the lowest rate at 13.87%. Hawaii also reports the highest life expectancy nationwide, including a lower cancer and cardiovascular disease prevalence. Additionally, residents of Hawaii tend to have greater access to healthcare resources and benefit from excellent air quality.
Innovative technologies like remote patient monitoring for heart failure and heart disease offer a promising solution as the healthcare industry works to decrease these costly and preventable readmissions. Two recent studies have demonstrated the potential for remote monitoring to reduce hospital readmission rates across different cardiac patient populations. The findings in the following sections report on how RPM works to improve outcomes while alleviating strain on healthcare facilities.
LVAD Patients’ And Reduced Readmission with Remote Monitoring
A study published in The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation investigated how ActiCare Health’s remote patient monitoring system affected hospital readmission rates for patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). The hospital readmission rate before implementing RPM was 54%, with 53 separate readmissions across 14 patients totaling 334 hospital days.
However, after integrating RPM, the readmission rate dropped significantly to 23%, with only 7 readmissions among 6 patients totaling just 37 hospital days. Moreover, 77% of patients (20 out of 26) remained completely readmission-free post-RPM implementation. The primary reasons for readmission pre-RPM were driveline infections (9%), gastrointestinal bleeds (9%), and heart failure exacerbations (15%), which all decreased substantially after RPM.
Lower Hospital Readmissions After Acute Coronary Syndrome
The TELE-ACS randomized controlled trial, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, evaluated a telemedicine-based approach versus standard care for 337 patients following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event. Over the 6-month study period, the telemedicine group experienced a 76% lower risk of hospital readmission (hazard ratio 0.24) and a 41% reduced risk of emergency department visits (hazard ratio 0.59) compared to standard care.
Unplanned coronary revascularization procedures were also significantly less common in the telemedicine arm (3% vs 9%). Furthermore, patient-reported symptoms like chest pain (9% vs. 24%), breathlessness (21% vs. 39%), and dizziness (6% vs. 18%) at 6 months were markedly lower in the telemedicine monitoring group.
Understanding Hospital Readmission Rates & Remote Patient Monitoring
These studies underscore the potential of remote monitoring technologies to reduce the hospital readmission rate across various cardiac conditions. By enabling close patient monitoring from home, early interventions become possible, preventing condition deterioration and avoiding costly readmissions. As healthcare systems face increasing strain, such solutions offer a pathway toward improved patient outcomes and reduced burden on facilities and staff.
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