Partnership to Expand Remote Patient Monitoring Services to MS Patients

In collaboration with AMC Health, the University Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) is adding remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies to care for chronic conditions with the goal of lowering costs, increasing access, and improving outcomes.

Although chronic diseases are common across the US, the state of Mississippi has particularly high numbers of people with these conditions. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, 8,000 people die from heart disease annually.

However, many risk factors that contribute to chronic conditions are controllable. Thus, UMMC sought the assistance of AMC Health to implement RPM services to enhance chronic care management.

Aiming to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, these RPM services would support patients outside hospital locations while closing care gaps.

The services offered by AMC Health include remote monitoring, education to enhance literacy and self-management, and management protocols. Through these tools, patients will gain access to personalized care plans, constant vital sign monitoring technologies, and live communication with a multidisciplinary medical team.

By addressing chronic conditions, the RPM implementation effort aims to lessen costs and improve access levels.

"We are thrilled to partner with the University of Mississippi Medical Center to improve the lives of patients with chronic diseases," said Nesim Bildirici, CEO of AMC Health, in a press release. "Our RPM solution will provide patients with the tools they need to take control of their health and work with their healthcare providers to achieve better outcomes. This collaboration with UMMC, striving together to improve quality of care, patient engagement, and health equity, is a privilege."

Having earned recognition as one of two federally designated Centers of Excellence in Telehealth, UMMC is the only academic medical center in the state.

Implementing RPM solutions to care for chronic conditions is becoming more common.

In December 2022, the Comprehensive COPD Clinic at UC Davis Health created an RPM program to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

According to research, COPD is a common condition that affects many Americans. Through this RPM service, these patients receive a pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and oxygen saturation in red blood cells. Respiratory therapists then collect and monitor data from the devices daily on a dashboard in the patient's EHR. Patients also receive check-ins daily that include questions about whether symptoms improved.

The same month, OSF HealthCare added an RPM program to its OSF OnCall Digital Health service to provide at-home care for pediatric patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.

Through this program, patients and their parents gained access to supportive care. Providers and at-home caregivers use a software application that provides education or digital prompts for reporting symptoms over ten days.