The care I received with remote health monitoring technology was just as good as having a nurse come to my house,” stated a participant in Sharp HealthCare Lean Six Sigma project.

The Sharp HealthCare Foundation conducted a study with a main focus of reducing 30 and 90-day readmissions through Remote Health Monitoring. The study targeted 80 Congestive Heart Failure patients, 66 of whom completed the 90-day program.  The study analyzed the outcomes of enrolled patients diagnosed with primary, secondary or tertiary heart failure in comparison to a reference group of similar patients, not enrolled in the RPM program.

Remote Health Monitoring works to reduce complexity and increase efficiency of health care. RPM works directly into a patient’s home and is non invasive. A patient uses the device (such as such as a weight scale, thermometer, glucose meter, blood pressure monitor, and heart rate monitor) and this information is then shared to the care circle, ultimately reducing the chances of an emergency situation. These devices connect via Bluetooth to a hub that plugs in the wall and this information is processed into an online database.

There is a daily upload of the patient’s vitals, which are accessible to the patient’s care circle. A patient’s care circle may include family, friends, neighbors, and medical personnel. In the case of an emergency, the patients’ care circle is also notified through text message or email.

The statistics prove that there was a significant difference for those enrolled in the program. The RPM 30-day readmission rate was 10%, and 20.7% for those not enrolled in the program. The PRM 90-day readmission rate was 21.2%, in comparison to 39.6% for those not enrolled.

Patients stay independent, well managed at home and out of the acute care setting when using Remote Health Monitoring. RPM helps patients become build confidence and become better engaged in their own care.

Patient satisfaction with RPM was measured at the end of the study. All but one patient was extremely satisfied with all aspects of the program.

Sharp HealthCare Foundation. “Reducing 30-day Hospital Readmissions for Congestive Heart Failure Patients by Utilizing Remote Patient Monitoring   (RPM) Technology.” Center for Technology and Aging. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar.      2014. <https://www.techandaging.org/grants_Sharp.html>.