New research shows that hospitals and medical practices prioritize clinical outcomes when establishing Cardiac Remote Monitoring – and CRM programs deliver on the promise of improving patient care and bring financial benefits.
Rhythm Management Group commissioned healthcare consultancy Sage Growth Partners to survey physicians, administrators, and executives from practices, hospitals, and health systems. Sixty-five percent of the 103 respondents represent a health system or a hospital, and 35% represent medical practices.
Survey respondents say the main benefits of Cardiac Remote Monitoring are improved outcomes and fewer hospital and ED admissions. Further, 81% of organizations that already have a CRM program say the approach is helping to prevent future hospitalizations.
Those benefits translate to better experiences for patients, staff, and physicians. The vast majority (78%) of survey respondents, in fact, say Cardiac Remote Monitoring has a positive impact on patient satisfaction, and 66% of staff “responded well” to their new CRM program, as did 64% of physicians.
“We can be proactive about treating patients. This leads to better outcomes and hopefully decreases in morbidity and mortality.”
Survey results showing that patients and clinicians respond positively to CRM programs come as the research also found that more patients will participate in CRM moving forward: 65% of organizations that currently offer CRM say the number of patients enrolled in their program increased during the last year, and 72% anticipate that increase will continue over the next 24 months.
None of the participating healthcare leaders expect the number of patients enrolled in cardiac remote monitoring to decrease in that timeframe.
Managing CRM Programs: In-house vs. Outsourced
Currently, 36% of organizations that offer CRM outsource management of the program to third-parties, and 25% of organizations that currently manage their own CRM program in-house plan to transition to a third-party partner by the end of 2025. More than half (56%) of healthcare leaders that do not offer a CRM program but plan to create one intend to outsource program management.
Seventy-seven percent of organizations that outsource Cardiac Remote Monitoring indicate that the clinical insights the programs generate positively impact patient care, compared to just 61% of organizations that do not outsource.
“My CRM program helps me monitor many critical clinical conditions in real-time and has an overall highly positive impact on patient care.”
The survey reveals that those who outsource say that their protocols and processes for immediately identifying certain cardiac problems are more effective than those who don’t outsource. Consider the following findings:
- Heart failure: 77% of those who outsource say their processes are “very effective” or “extremely effective” compared to only 57% of those who don’t outsource.
- Heart failure exacerbations: 69% of those who outsource say their processes are “very effective” or “extremely effective” compared to only 57% of those who don’t outsource.
- Atrial fibrillation diagnosis: 73% of those who outsource say their processes are “very effective” or “extremely effective” compared to only 65% of those who don’t outsource.
- Atrial fibrillation burden: 58% of those who outsource say their processes are “very effective” or “extremely effective” compared to only 52% of those who don’t outsource.
Outsourcing CRM also enables healthcare providers to immediately identify problems with real-time alerts that inform clinicians when cardiac-related health events happen outside the hospital or practice.
“Rhythm CRM offers a clearly defined migration path, plan, and timeline to help customers transition their workflow.”
CRM Also Yields Financial Benefits
Hospitals and practices say their organization’s top priority for CRM programs is the aforementioned clinical outcomes, and 69% say the clinical outcomes improvements they experience from CRM make the program worthwhile.
The survey results also reveal that implementing Cardiac Remote Monitoring yields reimbursement benefits and 65% of respondents say the program lowers the total cost of care. More than two-thirds of healthcare leaders say the time, effort, and budget is worth the return on investment required to establish a CRM program.
Learning more about Rhythm Management Group can help practices, hospitals, and health systems achieve a positive clinical impact, while also yielding a return on their investment. Contact us.
