Page 6 Case Studies in Telehealth Adoption Scaling Telehealth Program sLessons from Early Adopters

6 The commonweALTh Fund

Exhibit 2. Partners HealthCare’s Connected Cardiac Care Program and
Reducing Preventable Readmissions

CCCP outcomes
• 51% reduction in heart failure hospital readmissions*
• 44% reduction in non–heart failure hospital readmissions*
• Improved patient understanding of heart failure and self-management skills
• High levels of clinician and patient acceptability and satisfaction

Savings**
A case study prepared by CCH reports the following cost savings to date from CCCP:
• Cost of CCCP: $1,500 per patient
• Total savings from reduction in hospitalizations: $9,655 per patient
• Total net savings: $8,155 per patient
• Total savings: $10,316,075 for 1,265 monitored patients since 2006
* N=332
** This program targeted reductions in unplanned heart failure and non–heart failure related admissions. The savings achieved factor in the cost of running the program,
including marketing, referral management, telemonitoring nurse support, and technology.
Source: CCH analysis provided to the author.

activation and engagement in self-care and the subse- process, patients who have been identified as eligi-
quent role it plays in demonstrating evidence to provid- ble for participation are automatically enrolled and
ers has been key to Partners’ success. These outcomes clinicians are now responsible for notifying CCCP
are critical evidence in demonstrating to providers that if a patient wishes to not be enrolled. This has
such programs can support behavior changes that lead resulted in an increase in the number of enrollees
to improved health and quality of care. in CCCP. Satisfaction levels among doctors have
Strategic initiatives aligning the Partners orga- increased as benefits in patient care have become
nization with external forces that are shaping the future evident.
of health care organization, financing, and delivery • Activating and engaging patients in self-care
have served as important levers for more widespread through technology. Technology has a positive
use of connected health solutions in patient care. impact on patient engagement and motivation once
Factors that have been critical to Partners’ success in it is placed in patients’ hands. The evidence that the
implementing CCCP at scale include: the importance program can and does support behavior changes
of leadership support for and the championing of the that lead to improved care and quality outcomes
telehealth program, the integration of patient data has contributed to the program’s overall success.
into workflow to enable providers to more effectively Through technology, patients have felt more con-
assess patient status and provide just-in-time care nected to their care team.
and education, and the use of personal health data to
help educate and motivate patients to make necessary • Using data to motivate and empower clinicians
lifestyle changes and realize better clinical outcomes. and patients. Teaching patients self-management
Additional success factors include: skills can help drive a reduction in readmissions.
• Enrolling patients on an opt-out basis. The initial Participants receive constant feedback about how
lifestyle factors affect health outcomes, as well as
enrollment approach required that clinicians refer just-in-time care in which remote monitoring and
patients to the program. This resulted in low lev- intervention by nurses sends strong messages to
els of clinician engagement. Through the opt-out
patients that they are accountable.