Activation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) in this study is associated with lower hospitalization, intensive care use, and if hospitalized, length of stay. Conducted by Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network with Covid-19 positive ambulatory patients who accepted RPM in the home (N=9,378), the study’s purpose was to evaluate the implementation of a large-scale daily RPM program for patients who were managing symptoms from home. They compared those who activated their RPM (N=5,364, 57%) versus those who did not (N=4,014, 43%). The mean age was 46 and 58% were women.
- 878 patients (16.4%) had at least one RPM alert
- 2.4% (128) of the activated patients were hospitalized, compared to 3.9% (158) of inactivated patients
A weighted regression analysis, adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, and time period, compared RPM-activated to the tracked but inactivated patients:
- Lower odds of hospitalization (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54-0.86; P = .001)
- Greater time between test and hospitalization for RPM-activated patients 6.67 [3.21] days vs 5.24 [3.03] days)
- Shorter length of stay (4.44 [4.43] days vs 7.14 [8.63] days)
- Less intensive care use (15 patients [0.3%] vs 44 patients [1.1%])
The study excluded patients younger than 18 years, those with asymptomatic tests (because these were often scheduled before procedures or other planned admissions), patients who were admitted within 24 hours of a positive test, and those who already had internal PCPs to reduce the chance of missing hospitalizations. The RPM provider was GetWellNetwork using the GetWellLoop monitored by a centralized team of Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin nurses. Patients used the web or a mobile app to record their symptoms, temperatures, and pulse oximetry readings. Hospitalization Outcomes Among Patients With COVID-19 Undergoing Remote Monitoring (abstract and downloadable PDF)
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