Remote patient monitoring (RPM) was feasible in a racially and socioeconomically diverse population of vulnerable patients with cancer, according to a study presented at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting.
According to Alaina J. Kessler, MD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues, “patients with cancer have high rates of healthcare utilization due to complications of disease and treatment. Early identification of patient illness may help reduce acute care use and improve quality of care.”
To evaluate the feasibility of RPM among patients with cancer, the researchers partnered with a secure HIPAA-compliant platform and FDA-approved RPM device to monitor heart rate, temperature, respiration, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure. Kits also included broadband access and a tablet to provide telehealth services.
Oncology clinicians determined criteria for RPM initiation for patients on the bone marrow transplant service and those with myeloma and lung cancer. A centralized team of nurse practitioners (NPs) monitored alarms.
Over a 10-month period, 30 patients have been enrolled for RPM. Of these, 57% were White, 23% Black, 7% Asian and 7% Hispanic. The average age of patients was 57.4 years. The majority of patients (93%) had hematologic malignancies; all of these patients were enrolled at hospital discharge.
The mean length of time per patient enrolled with the device was 21.7 days. Over the 10-month period, there were 393 technical alarms, which indicate no data transmission for a 12-hour period. There were 62 clinical arms, which indicated abnormal vital signs. There was an average of three clinical alarms per week addressed by NPs by phone.
According to the researchers, additional studies should be done to evaluate patient-reported and healthcare utilization outcomes, as well as any barriers to reimbursement.
“The identification of best practices in telemedicine implementation can accelerate adoption and increase high quality, timely, and equitable cancer care,” the researchers concluded.
Kessler AJ, et al. A feasibility study of remote patient monitoring among vulnerable patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 40, 2022 (suppl 16; abstr e13652)
