Activation of a remote patient monitoring program is associated with lower hospitalization, intensive care use, and length of stay among patients with COVID-19, according to a study recently published in The Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.
The study followed patients who tested positive for COVID-19 who used a remote patient monitoring system at The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. In March 2020, the health system began using GetWell Loop, specifically the COVID Loop. Between March 20, 2020, and December 15, 2020, more than 5,000 patients used either a responsive web application or downloaded a mobile application to track their symptoms, temperatures, and pulse oximetry readings.
Get Well’s COVID Loop provided 14 days of virtual check-ins to assess disease progression and symptoms. Participants also received educational information related to COVID-19, including guidance on how to care for themselves at home, mitigate the spread to others, and manage stress associated with the diagnosis.
Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who activated the COVID Loop had a 32% lower rate of being hospitalized. Patients who required hospitalization had on average 2.7 days shorter length of stay and fewer days in intensive care.
The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin experience demonstrates that healthcare systems can leverage remote patient monitoring to reduce hospitalization rates and alleviate strain on clinical staff.
Read the full study for more information.
Source:
Crotty BH, Dong Y, Laud P, et al. Hospitalization Outcomes Among Patients With COVID-19 Undergoing Remote Monitoring. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(7):e2221050. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.21050
DOI: 10.2196/17839
