Providence shares Cadence RPM results at U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Telehealth
The Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee convened April 10 for the hearing, “Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Telehealth Services.” The House is considering at least 15 bills that would affect various aspects of telemedicine, according to the meeting agenda.
In a hearing alongside expert witnesses from the Medicare Rights Center, the Yale School of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Eve Cunningham, Group Vice President and Chief of Virtual Care and Digital Health of Providence, advocated for legislation to support Telehealth as a continued benefit for Medicare beneficiaries.
In her testimony, Dr. Cunningham discussed the positive outcomes of Cadence’s program on Providence’s patients. Providence is leaning heavily into remote patient monitoring to better manage patients with chronic disease. With over 1,500 patients currently enrolled in the care model, the program is expected to reach 5,000 to 8,000 by the end of 2024.
In response to a question from Representative Harshbarger of Tennessee, asking: “How can these Telehealth visits be used to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and bolster preventative care services?”
Dr. Cunningham testified: “We’ve had so many great catches that we never would have caught if we hadn’t had this [remote patient monitoring] program deployed where the patients would have ended up hospitalized. We’ve seen a 3x increase in guideline directed medical therapy for our congestive heart failure patients, which is associated with a 70% reduction in mortality. The impact is significant. We have early signs for reduced EMS calls, reduced ED visits and readmissions in this patient population.”
Further, in response to a question from Representative Barragan from California: “During your testimony you mentioned how Providence uses technology to remotely monitor patients with diabetes in their own homes. Can you talk about the potential cost savings of chronic disease management programs that are provided via Telehealth?”
Dr. Cunningham shares: “If you can get [congestive heart failure] patients in good control, you can reduce their morbidity and their mortality. The same thing goes with diabetic patients. If you can get their glucose control, your risk of having long term complications with diabetes goes down."
“You can't effectively manage chronic condition diseases in an office visit that lasts 20 minutes every 2-3 months. It's this very frequent interaction where you can titrate, maintain and monitor your patients and tinker with their management to get them to good control. That is going to be the key to success in managing chronic disease," she adds.
Representative Cardenas from California spoke to Providence's leadership in the industry quoting, "It is important to understand the impact of telehealth services on underserved communities...Providence was among the first hospital systems to integrate telehealth on a larger scale and you mentioned in your testimony that it has become an integrated part of your care delivery system....Providence is doing an amazing job in my community as one of the biggest hospitals in my community. It's where my wife Norma and I have chosen to have the care of our children.”
Cadence’s demonstrated results on chronic disease management and the total cost of care is one of many examples of Telehealth’s promising impact on the future of US healthcare. With over a year of success under its belt, Providence is now live with Cadence in Washington, Montana, and California, and is green lighting expansion of the program to Alaska in 2024.
Watch the full hearing here and read Dr. Cunningham’s written testimony here.
