Longitudinal Experience with Remote Monitoring for Automated Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Abstract

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an ideal model for testing remote monitoring (RM). In this study, we evaluated the RM application longitudinally in stable patients undergoing automated PD (APD). Methods: This was an observational study, comparing outcomes in patients with (current patients) and without (historical data) exposure of RM. We analyzed cost-effectiveness of RM-APD measuring the number of night alarms, number of hospital visits, direct and indirect costs. Results: Changes in APD prescription were almost double in the case group (RM) compared to the control group (p = 0.0005). The need for in-person visits and nocturnal alarms was significantly less in RM-APD than in traditional APD (p = 0.01 and p = 0.002, respectively). The distance traveled by patients in the case of RM-APD was reduced by 1,134 km with a time saving of 1,554 min for patients. The overall cost reduction for the PD center in terms of time/nurse and time/physician was 2,647 and 3,673 min, respectively. All these advantages were obtained in the presence of an improved technique survival with a significant reduction of dropouts. All patients found that it is easy to use the RM system and were satisfied with the high level of interaction with the care team and with the possibility of timely resolving technical problems. Conclusion: These data confirm the long-term benefits of RM applied to APD. RM-APD is cost-effective; it allows early detection and resolution of problems, improved treatment compliance, reduction of patient’s access to hospital center for technical and clinical complications with consequent savings, and improved patient’s quality of life.

Remote monitoring in peritoneal dialysis: benefits on clinical outcomes and on quality of life

“…In two previous studies, we investigated the benefits of RM-APD using an historical cohort of patients treated with traditional APD system as comparison group. However, comparing current versus historical cohort there could be a bias of analysis related to different time of observation and different clinical practice [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Remote monitoring of oxygen saturation in individuals with COVID-19 pneumonia

“…Indeed, the median number of measurements per day was 3.9 in the group which did not require readmission and 5.7 in those readmitted, both higher than 97% adherence [ 7 ]. This may have been aided by the minimal inputs needed and the acute aspect of this illness compared to the difficulties and challenges noted in compliance with remote monitoring in chronic diseases [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Rural‐Urban Differences in In‐Hospital Mortality Among Admissions for End‐Stage Liver Disease in the United States

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