​PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA—Chronically ill patients are often readmitted to hospitals. Hospital leaders need innovative solutions to improve patient care and avoid financial penalties related to this vulnerable and growing patient population.

One such strategy, remote patient monitoring, enables clinicians to track patients at home and intervene before the patient requires rehospitalization. Monitoring patients this way can help hospitals improve care, reduce readmissions, and control costs. However, hospitals often lack the necessary resources to navigate the complexities of designing and implementing a program. Such programs call for a dramatic shift in the continuum of care workflow, introduce new equipment and service costs, and require EHR integration and management.

A new consulting service from ECRI Institute walks hospitals through the full remote monitoring journey, from concept to implementation. They use a proven approach to define needs, choose the right home monitoring solution, and measure success.

ECRI Institute’s team of experienced consultants works with leaders across the care continuum to perform an evidence-based needs assessment, develop a plan for initiation and growth, and rigorously evaluate vendor technologies and solutions.

The service guides the hospital through the process by determining patient selection criteria and training requirements, designing clinical monitoring protocols, establishing criteria for measuring success, and addressing program scalability.

One of the key elements of the service is the independent, unbiased vendor evaluation. Following a cost and capabilities analysis, ECRI walks the hospital through a short-listing process to select the most suitable technology partner.

Thomas E. Skorup, MBA, FACHE, vice president, Applied Solutions Group, ECRI Institute, says:

“Hospitals need a trusted partner to help them explore what is essentially uncharted territory for reducing patient readmissions. ECRI is uniquely qualified to empower leaders to take on the challenges of developing and implementing a successful remote patient monitoring program.”