UPMC expands remote patient monitoring to new and expecting mothers

UPMC and partner Vivify Health recently announced the expansion of their remote patient monitoring program to include conditions affecting new and expecting mothers.

The first part of the expanded program was a pilot launched in February at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital that addresses patients experiencing postpartum hypertension, a condition that affects many mothers and often leads to hospital readmissions. With the success of the pilot, the program is being rolled out to more patients and UPMC and Vivify are planning to use remote monitoring for more conditions affecting new and expecting mothers.

“Hypertensive disorders aren’t just an immediate concern, they’re also linked to cardiovascular issues later in life,” said Andrew Watson, MD, Medical Director of Telemedicine at UPMC. “By using remote patient monitoring tools, we’re able to gather real-time data to quickly treat a patient’s condition, limit future problems, and educate patients on the importance of continuous monitoring.”

Monitoring postpartum hypertension is particularly important as new mothers often see their health as a secondary concern. However, the failure to address the condition can lead to an increased risk for long-term hypertension and cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, congestive heart failure, and myocardial infarction.

The first pilot included more than 40 mothers identified as experiencing postpartum hypertension. Patients were enrolled in the pilot onsite and were given a take-home blood pressure cuff, access to Vivify’s web-based program to use on their smartphone, and detailed instructions prior to their discharge. This education was important to help identify what is a normal value for each patient before outlining how to track their details in the Vivify program.

Throughout the program, Vivify automatically prompted patients via text messages to check their blood pressure and record the data over pre-determined intervals. The data was sent to the patients’ doctors and nurses in real time to monitor changes and, if necessary, quickly address issues.

Early results have been promising, with about 22 percent of women either being prescribed new medication or being instructed to stop taking their existing blood pressure medication. The program also has led to a significant improvement in follow-up visits, with approximately 88 percent of patients returning for their six-week check-up, compared with a national average of just 48-58 percent.

These successes have led to increased enrollment at Magee, and as the program grows, it will be offered for all patients with postpartum hypertension across UPMC.

“This first pilot program is another great example of how remote patient monitoring can help improve outcomes outside of hospital facilities,” said Eric Rock, CEO and Founder of Vivify Health. “This is especially important for families as they begin to adjust to life with a new baby. UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital has been a great proving ground and we look forward to expanding this program to all Magee doctors and introducing others to treat conditions such as gestational diabetes.”

Much like the postpartum hypertension program, UPMC and Vivify are planning another pilot that will launch to a limited number of patients experiencing gestational diabetes. The remote monitoring program is expected to collect real-time blood glucose readings up to four times a day, an improvement over the current process of capturing those readings on a weekly basis.

The gestational diabetes program is also expected to include access to a certified diabetes educator, daily text message reminders from the Vivify system, and pre-test surveys that provide patients with educational information before each blood test. These educational aspects are especially important for patients who are not already diabetic to remind them that certain foods, such as those high in carbohydrates, will affect blood sugar levels. The finalized pilot program is expected to begin enrolling patients in the next few months.

UPMC and Vivify have been partners since 2016 when UPMC became both an investor in and customer of the company. Since then, several successful remote patient monitoring programs have been launched covering conditions ranging from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to chronic pain management and smoking cessation. Vivify Health’s ease of use and integration with existing electronic health record systems, as well as its visionary “bring-your-own-device” platform have allowed UPMC to stay better connected with patients and provide more complete care.

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