Understanding the Effects of Participation in a Large-scale Remote Diabetes Monitoring Program: A Qualitative Survey and Retrospective Analysis Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Remote patient monitoring has shown promise in helping management of population health by facilitating care management between providers and patients by providing real-time accurate data of relevant readings for chronic conditions from outside a medical facility. Kaiser Permanente offers remote patient monitoring as part of a holistic care management program for its members. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine qualitative and quantitative measures of patient and provider feedback of Kaiser Permanente’s remote patient monitoring program for diabetes, patient perspectives on ability to manage diabetic care, patient health outcomes and program adherence, and utilization of Kaiser Permanente services under the program. METHODS In this study, patients who were enrolled in the RPM program in Southern California from 2017 onwards as well as care providers who had enrolled at least one patient in the program were studied. For qualitative data, online surveys were deployed. For quantitative analysis, clinical and demographic data drawn from existing data systems, which included Kaiser Permanente membership records, encounter records, electronic medical records, and administrative data repositories were used. RESULTS Providers (N=160) and patients (N=1,106) responded to the survey and reported many qualitative benefits from participating in the study, including improved coordination of clinical care and increased accountability. Patients who were enrolled in the program experienced a mean decrease of 1.25 in HbA1c results and an increase in encounters over 90 days which gradually come back to pre-enrollment encounter levels around 6 months. Those who actively upload glucose readings met the program upload goals within the first month a majority (92%) of the time. CONCLUSIONS There are many qualitative benefits for patients and providers incorporating Kaiser Permanente’s remote patient monitoring program as part of diabetic care. The quantitative descriptions of health outcomes, service utilization, and program adherence speak to the feasibility and value of deploying remote monitoring tools at scale within healthcare organizations.