Operational Implementation of Remote Patient Monitoring Within a Large Ambulatory Health System: Multimethod...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• Remote patient monitoring (RPM) offers potential for chronic disease management but faces limited large-scale implementation.
• Understanding RPM's impact on clinical workflows and patient care experience remains a gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the early implementation of operational RPM initiatives for chronic disease management.
• To focus on the experiences of early adopter clinicians and patients within an academic medical center's ambulatory network.

Main Methods:

• A multimethod qualitative approach was employed.
• Interviews were conducted with 13 early adopter clinicians across 9 specialties.
• Speculative design sessions were held with 21 patients and patient representatives.

Main Results:

• Key themes emerged regarding data collection, practices, and security/privacy.
• Proactive and preventive care models, including interventions and support, were identified.
• Health disparities and equity considerations, such as tailored care and implicit bias, were explored, with mitigation strategies noted.

Conclusions:

• The study underscores the contextual factors, perceptions, and challenges in deploying RPM in clinical practice.
• Findings highlight potential implications for clinical workflows and work experiences.
• Implementation and design recommendations are provided for health systems adopting RPM-enabled healthcare.