How RPM technology can improve chronic disease management
How RPM technology can improve chronic disease management
Improving chronic disease management using RPM technology
In a new episode of Cadence Conversations, Cadence Chief Medical Officer Dr. Theodore Feldman sat down with Dr. Benjamin Scirica, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Cardiovascular Medicine, for a wide-ranging discussion about the effectiveness of remote patient monitoring (RPM) platforms and the potential for clinical trials to improve the utilization of guideline directed medications.
Cadence Conversations is a podcast from Cadence featuring clinicians, healthcare executives, as well as tech entrepreneurs discussing their experiences driving innovation and progress. Previous episodes include discussions on various aspects of digital innovation and partnerships in healthcare.
In addition to his work at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Scirica is a director of quality initiatives at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s (BWH) Cardiovascular Division and a senior investigator at the Thrombolysis and Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Study Group. He recently published a marquee study on RPM across more than 10,000 patients which found that remote monitoring helped to significantly reduce blood pressure and lipid levels.
On the podcast, Dr. Scirica spoke at length about the results of this study, which took place over a three-year period and relied on extensive data — including 400,000 blood pressure readings from patients and over 130,000 laboratory data — and its implications for the future adoption of RPM technology by clinicians to help treat their patients with chronic conditions.
"To unbreak the system, we are going to have to have clinics that work on many levels where there is a whole lot of work that's being done that the physician does not have day-to-day involvement on. Otherwise, we won't be able to provide care to the growing elderly and sicker population," he shared.
Dr. Scirica believes that RPM technology can serve as a "physician extender" and free up cardiologists' valuable in-person time to focus on caring for their sickest patients or those in need of the most complex care. In this way, RPM should ease some of cardiologists' administrative hurdles and busy schedules while ensuring more routine and better access to high-quality care for patients.
Results of a Recent Study
Dr. Feldman and Scirica also discussed Cadence's recently published clinical data at the 2022 Heart Failure Society of America conference, which showed positive results in using remote patient monitoring to treat heart failure patients.
As part of the results of that study, Cadence observed a 5.5x increase in the percentage of patients on all four pillars of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) compared to baseline, a 1.5x increase in the percentage of patients on mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), a 3x increase in the percentage of patients on sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), and a significant increase in the percentage of patients on >50% target dose of GDMT for each pillar other than beta blockers.
Dr. Scirica shared his thoughts on focusing dedicated personnel on singular tasks for effective implementation of care in chronic disease management.
Episode Transcript
Introduction
Welcome to Cadence Conversations, where we're talking with prominent physicians, healthcare leaders, and tech entrepreneurs about their experiences driving innovation and progress. This week, Ted Feldman, Chief Medical Officer at Cadence, had an opportunity to sit down with Benjamin Scirica, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Attending Cardiologist and Director of Innovation for the Cardiovascular Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Discussion Highlights
- The current healthcare system's model is based on a visit-centric approach, which presents barriers for chronic disease management.
- The role of technology, especially RPM, is essential in managing chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
- Emphasis on shifting the task to capable non-licensed navigators can enhance efficiency in patient management.
- The results of the recent study underscore the efficacy of RPM in managing chronic conditions and improving patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Remote Patient Monitoring is shaping a new chapter in chronic disease management, marking a significant shift towards integrated, patient-centered care. The ongoing evolution of RPM technology continues to hold promise for enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes for patients with chronic diseases.