Providence, a health system, has implemented remote patient monitoring (RPM) to improve chronic disease management while addressing clinician burnout. By partnering with Cadence, they ensure proper data collection, analysis, and support services to alleviate burdens on clinicians. Through a pilot program, Providence assesses the effectiveness of the RPM model, streamlines billing processes, and plans to expand the program to more patients. The focus is on thoughtful implementation, workflow design, and measuring impact to ensure RPM’s benefits without adding to clinician burnout.
The growing evidence of remote patient monitoring’s (RPM) potential to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes is promising. However, it is crucial to implement these services effectively to avoid exacerbating the prevailing issue of clinician burnout in healthcare.
Clinician burnout, a long-term stress reaction according to the American Medical Association, has been on the rise, reaching new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey conducted between December 2021 and January 2022, involving 2,500 US physicians, revealed that nearly 63 percent experienced burnout manifestations in 2021, compared to 38.2 percent in 2020 and 43.9 percent in 2017.
The increased utilization of virtual care technologies during the pandemic offered flexibility in workflow for physicians, but it also posed additional burdens and challenges in care delivery.
Providence, a health system, recognized the importance of ensuring that RPM implementation does not contribute to clinician burnout as they expanded and scaled their RPM services. Dr. Eve Cunningham, Group Vice President and Chief of Virtual Care and Digital Health, highlighted this as a key focus for Providence. The health system recently partnered with Cadence, a health technology company, to incorporate RPM services and a responsive virtual care program to support chronic disease management.
Effective chronic disease management requires frequent communication and data sharing between physicians and patients, which can be challenging to achieve. Primary care doctors often lack sufficient time to address all aspects of a patient’s chronic care, such as behavioral health issues, diet, and exercise.
Collaborative care models, involving primary care physicians, behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, and diabetes educators, are ideal for managing chronic diseases. However, resource and staffing constraints may prevent health systems from implementing this model, resulting in a single clinician handling a broad spectrum of chronic care, leading to burnout.
Providence identified remote patient monitoring as a potential solution. These services allow for the tracking of health metrics between clinic visits and facilitate real-time communication between clinicians and patients, thereby alleviating the burdens of chronic care management.
For example, a patient with high blood pressure can be sent home with a monitoring device. Physicians can adjust medications based on daily blood pressure readings, improving patient outcomes.
However, improper implementation can outweigh the benefits of RPM. One challenge is managing the data generated by RPM devices, as collecting and analyzing it can be overwhelming.
Providence addressed this challenge through its partnership with Cadence, which provided AI capabilities for data collection and analysis. They also established a care team to gather insights from the data and engage with patients, answering questions and adjusting medications based on established protocols.
Providence ensured that RPM implementation did not lead to burnout by conducting a pilot program. By starting the RPM model pilot at two Washington clinics, the health system could assess the model’s effectiveness and identify any bottlenecks. They also conducted an inbox management study to demonstrate that the new care model would not overwhelm clinicians with excessive information.
Streamlining the billing process for RPM is also crucial. The billing requirements for RPM services can be challenging, but RPM platforms can help providers meet these requirements by sending reminders and simplifying the process.
Providence’s RPM model pilot has shown positive results, with high satisfaction levels among both patients and providers. Compliance with guideline-directed medical therapy for congestive heart failure has increased by 200 percent, and average blood pressure levels for hypertension patients have significantly declined.
The health system’s next steps include integrating the RPM platform with the Epic EHR and expanding the program across its Washington service area. Eventually, the program will be deployed across all seven states where Providence hospitals are located.
Throughout this scaling process, Providence aims to ensure that the upcoming rollouts continue to alleviate clinician burnout, enabling clinicians and patients to benefit from RPM’s advantages. They emphasize the importance of not only implementing RPM technology but also designing supportive workflows, measuring impact, and making thoughtful changes.
By taking a comprehensive approach and considering the well-being of clinicians, Providence aims to optimize the benefits of RPM while mitigating burnout risks.
