Delivering on the Promise of Remote Patient Monitoring

Focusing on Patient Experience and Engagement Leads to Success

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Jun 10, 2021, 12:58 ET

PETALUMA, Calif., June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carium, a leader in virtual care technology, today announces the launch of Pinellas County Primary Care and Hospitalists remote monitoring program.

Pinellas, a primary care practice in Clearwater, FL affiliated with BayCare Health System, was looking to build better healthcare experiences for their patients, and to improve clinical and financial outcomes.

43% monthly revenue increase from December 2020 to April 2021 using remote patient monitoring at Pinellas County Primary Care and Hospitalists, a primary care practice in Clearwater, FL affiliated with BayCare Health System.

After interviewing several remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology vendors, Michael Wanger, MD, internist and president at Pinellas, decided to partner with Carium, pointing to two characteristics that made the technology stand out in a noisy vendor market: ease of use and proven customer success.

Designing for the Patient
Selecting an RPM technology that was easy to use for patients was a must for Pinellas. They chose Carium based on the patient-centric approach and simple, yet powerful user interface. Upon enrollment into the RPM program, patients are equipped with a digital health kit. This includes the Carium virtual health mobile application, and connected devices based on the patient's condition, such as a blood pressure cuff, blood glucose monitor, digital scale, or activity tracker. Patients are able to easily share readings with the care team at Pinellas using the connected devices and health app.

In addition, the mobile app allows a digital connection between the patient and their trusted care team. Patients can easily engage from their home, via messaging, video chats, and phone calls, based on their preferences. Patients also have access to vetted learning content, can provide feedback via surveys, share progress via journaling, and more.

89.2% of patients in the RPM program engaged month-over-month in the first five months. 97% of patients say the new experience is a better one. These engagement and experience metrics indicate that their patients like the program — as they continue to use the technology to support the management of their chronic disease.

Delivering on the Promise of RPM
RPM programs are full of promises: new revenue streams, better experiences, and a lower burden of care, to name a few. However, for practices adopting this virtual care program for the first time, it can be a bumpy road. Getting patients enrolled in an RPM program can be challenging. Pinellas understood this hurdle after going through a similar project with another vendor. To avoid missteps, Pinellas and Carium established project milestones and Carium provided resources to support them on the delivery of one of their goals: exceeding the previous patient enrollment. The practice hit their once-ambitious goal for annual patient recruitment into this program seven months ahead of schedule. As of early June, the group has reached 150% of their annual recruitment goal in less than half the time they expected it would take, and they're still expanding the program today.

A new revenue stream was recognized by Pinellas's participation in the RPM program by CMS. On average, providers can receive up to $123 per patient per month. Where revenue was once dwindling, the practice has recorded a 43% monthly revenue increase from December 2020 to April 2021.

Dr. Michael Wanger shares, "We spent the past decade punching more buttons and clicking more boxes and doing more data entry than ever before. The bottom line is that so far, technology has made it more difficult to take care of patients," he says. "But all of a sudden, it feels like we're turning a corner. Now we actually have this technology that makes things more, not less, efficient."

This is the future of healthcare. Learn more about how Carium can be the technology powering your remote patient monitoring program.

About Carium
Carium leads the digital transformation of healthcare towards a model that revolves around patients and their lives. Our virtual care platform helps providers get to know, manage, and engage patients in achieving their best health, enabling care teams to deliver population health at scale. Visit us to learn more https://www.carium.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Contact:
Ashley Dauwer
401-744-6353
[email protected]

SOURCE Carium