DES MOINES, IOWA – February 13, 2025 – This Heart Month, Certintell is excited to share the success of its remote patient monitoring (RPM) services in enhancing cardiovascular health. The latest results of the EnhancedRPM.com Program underscore the importance of RPM in managing critical conditions such as Hypertension (HTN) and Chronic Heart Failure (CHF), leading to notable improvements in patient health. The program led to a decrease in weight by 6.7 lbs and an improved SBP by 7mmHg, correlating to roughly a 15% reduction in major cardiovascular events per systematic review.
The below key findings and themes outline the performance of the RPM program at Hancock County Health System and MercyOne North Iowa Heart Center during 2024. Key findings indicate positive trends in patient weight loss, blood pressure improvements, and increased program enrollment. The primary focus is empowering patients with Hypertension and Chronic Heart Failure to improve their health over time outside of the traditional healthcare setting.
Key Findings and Themes:
1. Positive Health Outcomes:
- Weight Loss: Patients demonstrated an average weight loss of 6.7 lbs. per patient. This suggests the RPM program is having a positive impact on weight management.
- Blood Pressure Improvement: The program showed a 7mmHg average improvement in Systolic Blood Pressure, correlating to roughly a 15% reduction in major cardiovascular events per systematic review (1.). This demonstrates the effectiveness of the RPM program in controlling and improving blood pressure levels.
2. Program Enrollment Growth:
- Increasing Enrollment: The RPM program had continuous growth from roughly 60 patients at the beginning of the year to roughly 120 at the end, suggesting continued positive movement. This indicates the growing acceptance and utilization of RPM.
- Total Claims Increase: There was an increase in total claims over time throughout 2024. This indicates increased utilization and activity of the RPM program.
3. Patient Demographics:
- Predominant Conditions: This program primarily focused on patients with Hypertension (HTN) and Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). This suggests a targeted approach to chronic disease management.
- Gender Distribution: 46% male, 54% female. These numbers suggest a relatively balanced gender distribution.
- Average Age: The program reports an average patient age of 75.8, highlighting the program’s focus on an older adult population with higher likelihood of these chronic conditions.
4. Medication Management:
- Top Medications: Several medications were consistently listed as the top medications prescribed in these programs. This indicates common therapeutic protocols for HTN and CHF management.
5. Program Utilization:
- Average of 10.8 medications per patient
- Average of 105 hours logged by RPM healthcare staff per month
Conclusion:
The 2024 RPM program recap demonstrates positive trends in patient health outcomes, with notable improvements in weight and blood pressure. The program’s focus on HTN and CHF management, combined with the consistent use of key medications, suggests a well-defined treatment strategy. The increase in program enrollment and utilization throughout the year underscores the growing value and impact of the RPM services provided.
- Ettehad D., Emdin C., Kiran A., et al. (2015). Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2016;387(10022):957-967
The project described was supported by grant number G01RH42535‐01‐00 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, DHHS. Drake University and Iowa State University are also involved in this project.
Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is working to address health disparities for underserved populations in rural communities.
The College is partnering with Certintell, a telehealth company based in Des Moines and founded by Drake alumnus Ben Lefever, and Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc.® to improve health outcomes for underserved, rural patients through a remote approach. The collaboration will utilize TRHC’s proprietary Medwise® technology to facilitate medication safety reviews and monitor patients remotely through an existing call center at Drake University. The project is being funded through a 5-year, $1.6 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
