Remote patient monitoring program improves healthcare of residents in rural communities

The Michigan towns of Newberry, Sandusky, and Manistique have an estimated combined population of 7,032 people -- a number that rarely puts a singular town on a map, let alone three smaller rural communities.

But the size of the three towns -- and their respective hospitals -- is the exact reason the hospitals found themselves as the focus of a recent pilot project that studied the impact of remote patient monitoring in rural Michigan hospitals. The participating hospitals were McKenzie Health System in Sandusky, in the Thumb; Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry and Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital in Manistique, both located in the U.P.

And like all aspects of healthcare, digital health solutions continue to evolve. 

The goal of the pilot project, funded by a Michigan Health Endowment Fund, was to increase digital health capacity and access to care for the participating rural, independent critical access hospitals, according to an October 2024 Business Wire press release. Officials also hoped to learn lessons that could be shared with other rural health stakeholders throughout the state.

“The Remote Patient Monitoring pilot was prompted by the need to enhance digital health capacity and improve access to care for residents 65 and older in rural Michigan,” said Amanda St. Martin, hospital programs manager at the Michigan Center for Rural Health.

The Michigan Center for Rural Health was awarded the Special Projects and Emerging Ideas Grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

The pilot has been transformative for healthcare in rural communities by bridging the gap between patients and providers, improving health outcomes, and addressing critical social determinants, said John Barnas, executive director of the Michigan Center for Rural Healt. By ensuring prompt medical intervention and breaking down socioeconomic disparities, it promotes a more inclusive healthcare system.

Working with pilot partner Higi (a Modivcare Co.), the Michigan Center for Rural Health aimed to address healthcare access challenges faced by rural hospitals and clinics, particularly in managing chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and congestive heart failure among these residents.

The Michigan center found that patients who were referred to remote patient monitoring by a primary care physician or by a care manager from their primary care office were 8.5 times more likely to enroll in the program than patients who were introduced to the concept through a letter or cold call from their healthcare organization. 

Participating primary care physician Dr. James Sams, chief of staff at McKenzie Health System, told the Michigan Center for Rural Health the program is beneficial to rural communities.

“Overall, it is a great program with amazing possibilities, especially in a rural setting. The monthly updates have the potential to empower the patient to participate in their overall health.”

A 72-year-old female patient from McKenzie Health System told Higi that participating in the remote monitoring program made her pay much closer attention to her blood pressure.

Access to frequent readings and real-time information allows rural patients to understand their health and helps the patient and provider make decisions together based on a set of data versus one in-office reading.

“Transportation is a barrier in Sanilac County, along with many other rural communities,” said Billi Jo Hennika, COO of the McKenzie Health System. “Having the ability to monitor patients remotely allows providers and patients to have access to frequent readings that can improve their ability to monitor health conditions and make changes when necessary.

“It also provides information in real time that allows a patient to understand their health condition, what food is causing their blood sugar to elevate or be low, or how medication is affecting their blood pressure,” she said.

For the McKenzie Health System providers, the value of the pilot came in two primary areas: patient engagement and outcomes, Hennika said. The health system found that it was incredibly helpful to have patients involved in their own care by taking an active role in capturing and understanding their readings. This also made it easier for providers to understand what was happening with patients in between visits, which helps with treatment planning.

The outcomes McKenzie providers saw were also impactful. For all patients enrolled in the pilot for six months, those who were monitoring their blood pressure and were uncontrolled at the start of the pilot saw a meaningful average reduction of systolic blood pressure of 27 mmHg and a diastolic reduction of 11 mmHg. For those managing their own blood glucose, the pilot saw a similar positive trend with an average reduction in blood glucose readings of 25 mg/dL.

McKenzie Health System will continue to offer a remote monitoring program to patients expanding beyond the Medicare population that the pilot targeted. The health system has a Community Integrated Paramedic program that collaborates with their primary practices to ensure patients have success with RPM. 

“The CIP program was instrumental in deployment and support for the patients using RPM. We will continue with this model and look forward to expanding the population the program serves,” Hennika said.

Looking ahead, one of the other pilot partners, Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, is continuing with remote patient monitoring services. 

“We are thrilled with the outcomes of this pilot and the positive impact it has had on patients and healthcare providers alike,” said Michael Beaulieu, MD, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer for Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in a recent press release. “RPM has the ability to reshape rural healthcare, providing continuous care outside of the traditional office setting while reducing the workload for clinicians.”

The Michigan Center for Rural Health, in collaboration with Higi, has developed an 80-page remote patient monitoring playbook to guide other rural hospitals. The playbook is designed to be used by healthcare organizations interested in leveraging the program, as well as by clinicians and staff, to guide effective implementation. It’s based upon research conducted by the authors and others regarding successful strategies in rural practices with documented outcomes. 

Natalie Platt works in commercial real estate marketing and pursues her journalism passion by writing about lifestyle and travel surrounding her love for Michigan. A native of Indiana, she currently lives in Chicago and enjoys boating, golfing, and long weekend trips to the beach.