Remote monitoring for heart failure: Assessing the risks of readmission and mortality

Remote monitoring (RM) can help patients with heart failure (HF) remain free of hospitalization. Our objective was to implement a patient-centered RM program that ensured timely clinical response, which would be associated with reduced mortality. This was a retrospective, observational, propensity-matched study. A large regional health system between 9/1/2016–1/31/2018. Patients admitted with acute HF exacerbation were matched on key variables. Up to two comparison patients were selected for each RM user. We used an algorithmic approach to assess daily physiologic data, assess symptoms, provide patient education, encourage patient self-management, and triage medical problems. We assessed all-cause mortality using Kaplan-Meier and log rank analysis. We used Cox proportional hazards to compare risk of death. Our cohort of 680 RM users and 1198 comparisons were similar across baseline characteristics except age (74.7 years versus 76.6 years, p < 0.001, respectively). Having one or more admissions in the preceding 120 days was more prevalent in the RM group (35.9% versus 29.8%, p = 0.013). The 30- and 90-day all-cause readmission rates were each higher among the RM users compared with the comparison patients (p = 0.013 and p < 0.001 for 30 and 90 days, respectively). Mortality was lower in the RM group at 30 and 90 days post-discharge (p < 0.001). RM that responds to biometric data and encourages patient self-management can be used in a large hospital system and is associated with decreased all-cause mortality. Our findings underscore RM technology as a method to improve HF care.