OAKLAND, CA--(Marketwire - May 14, 2010) - Remote patient monitoring devices could reduce U.S. health care costs by nearly $200 billion during the next 25 years, if they were more widely used by patients with certain chronic diseases.(1) Medicare could save $12 billion annually, if these devices were also used to help prevent hospital readmissions.(2) Estimated savings such as these for the U.S. health care system and improved quality of life for older Americans with chronic conditions provide a context for the Center for Technology and Aging's recently released report, "Technologies for Remote Patient Monitoring in Older Adults," available at www.techandaging.org.
"Remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies have been shown to be effective in helping to manage chronic disease, post-acute care and monitoring the safety of older adults," said David Lindeman, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Technology and Aging. "These technologies can help slow the progression of chronic disease, speed recovery after discharge from an acute care setting and help vulnerable adults avoid injuries."
The detailed report is a primer on RPM and underscores the importance of more rapid adoption of this technology as a cornerstone for tackling the high cost of chronic disease care, which accounts for three-quarters of America's direct health expenditures. The report includes a description of the:
- Five-step RPM process (Collect, Transmit, Evaluate, Notify, Intervene).
- Opportunities to apply RPM to chronic care, post-acute care, and patient safety.
- Veterans Health Administration experience and positive results from its RPM use.
- Features of seven integrated RPM devices currently on the market: Health Buddy (Bosch), Telestation (Philips), Genesis DM (Honeywell), Health Guide PHS6000 (Intel), LifeView (American Telecare), Ideal LIFE Pod (Ideal Life), Healthanywhere (Healthanywhere, Inc.).
- Features of four Continuous Cardiac RPM technologies: Biotronik Home Monitoring, Medtronic CareLink, Boston Scientific Latitude, and St. Jude Merlin.net.
- Technology characteristics of RPM devices for fall detection, fall prevention and location tracking, including medical alerts for family or caregivers.
- Characteristics of location tracking device products currently available, including: EmFinders' EmSeeQ; Alzheimer's Association Comfort Zone, powered by Omnilink; LoJack SafetyNet; GPS Tracking and Navigation FlexTrack; and Google's Latitude.
(The report does not necessarily include a comprehensive list of products or vendors for a given technology and those included in the report are not endorsed by the Center for Technology and Aging.)
In conjunction with the report, the Center is making a total of $500,000 in grants to several organizations that will demonstrate how RPM applications -- that keep older adults out of more intensive, higher-cost care settings -- can be rapidly expanded. Grant selections will be announced in July. Winning organizations must demonstrate how their RPM strategy can be more widely integrated into the fabric of state and national health care delivery.
"Health reform and significant federal investment in health information technology has focused national attention on the importance managing the high cost chronic disease. The time is right for more rapid adoption of RPM technologies that can reduce emergency room visits, help seniors stay in their homes -- and out of expensive care settings -- and live more safely, even with complex chronic conditions," said Lindeman.
Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults, according to data cited in the report. Nearly two million seniors were treated in emergency departments for fall injuries in 2007. But getting help quickly after a fall reduces the risk of hospitalization by 26 percent. The Center's report describes these devices' underlying technologies.
Finally, the report includes highlights of positive outcomes from the Veterans Health Administration's Care Coordination/Home Telehealth program, which serves as a dramatic example of how an enterprise-wide implementation of RPM has proven to be a cost-effective approach to managing chronic care patients.
The Center for Technology and Aging (www.techandaging.org) supports more rapid adoption and diffusion of technologies that enhance independence and improve home and community-based care for older adults. Through grants, research, public policy involvement and development of practical tools and best practice guidelines, the Center serves as an independent, non-profit resource for improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of long-term care services. The Center was established with funding from The SCAN Foundation (www.thescanfoundation.org) and is affiliated with the Public Health Institute (www.phi.org) in Oakland, CA.
(1) Litan, R. Vital Signs via Broadband: Remote Health Monitoring Transmits Savings, Enhances Lives. October report. 2008 Available at: http://betterhealthcaretogether.org
(2) Bisognano M, Boutwell A. Improving transitions to reduce readmissions. Frontiers of Health Services Management. Spring 2009;25(3):3-10.