Connected Care Helps Keep Cancer Patients Out of the ED

June 21, 2023
Ochsner Health provided patients receiving chemotherapy with connected devices and MyChart Care Companion. This empowers them to self-monitor vital signs and symptoms and keep their care team in the loop about concerning results. The program reduced ED visits and admissions by 33%, decreasing the cost of care by over $1.2 million for currently enrolled patients.

At Ochsner Health, the largest nonprofit academic multi-specialty healthcare system in southeast Louisiana, the oncology team is keeping their patients out of the ED and the hospital through high-tech home monitoring. The organization developed a program that allows patients receiving chemotherapy to monitor their vital signs and symptoms at home and report that data electronically to their care team. Participants in the program were 33% less likely to visit the ED or be hospitalized, compared to patients receiving chemotherapy at Ochsner who did not participate, and they reported high levels of satisfaction with the support the program provided.

How They Did It

  • Prompted clinicians to enroll patients in a digital monitoring program when working with chemotherapy treatment plans
  • Created MyChart questionnaires tailored to specific diagnoses and treatments to collect daily symptom information
  • Provided smart scales, thermometers, and blood pressure cuffs at no cost to patients
  • Used oncology-specific urgent care clinics for quick follow-up on concerning symptoms

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