MSU Health Care’s Remote Monitoring Services Help Improve Health of People with Chronic Diseases

October 26, 2022

MSU Health Care’s remote monitoring program, which offers care for health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and heart disease through a partnership with Higi Care Everyday, is helping the academic medical center deliver on its commitment to address health care challenges in Michigan for established patients and community members alike. Among MSU Health Care patients who have been enrolled in Care Everyday over a 180-day period, on average, a patient's systolic readings improved by 11.8 points, and their diastolic readings improved by 7.97 points.  These early outcomes demonstrate how Care Everyday helps patients gain control over their important health numbers and outcomes will continue to be monitored as the program progresses.

“For each new digital tool we add to our toolkit, it’s essential that we enhance the experience of care for both our patients and our providers,” said Roger Jansen, PhD, Chief Innovation and Digital Health Officer for MSU Health Care.  “I’ve shared before our belief in the power of digital delivery to positively impact the health of Michigan communities, and we are seeing that impact with Care Everyday. For our patients, it is now easier to monitor, track and share vitals with a trusted clinical partner who will ensure they receive the care they need, and for our providers, we’ve added an actionable dataset directly into the patient record that reliably supports adherence to the prescribed care plan, enhancing the experience of care across the board.”

Patients are finding immediate value in the program, with participation tied to increased ownership of their health outcomes, short-term and longer-term financial savings, reduced ER admissions and improved satisfaction.

For Vivian, an MSU Health Care patient living with COPD, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, the experience led to more accountability and better-controlled conditions. “My care manager holds me accountable and makes me more aware of my numbers and taking care of myself. I want my care manager to be proud of me and I know she is watching over me and my readings, so that helps me make better choices.” Further, she shared that “my care manager and I have talked about diet and lifestyle changes that I put in place. It has absolutely made a difference in how I feel and [has improved] my numbers.”

“Remote patient monitoring has provided the ability to get insights on my patients with firm data rather than scribbled notes, allowing me to engage in medication management without taxing the nursing staff with phone calls and messages,” said Churlsun Han, MD, MSU Health Care internal medicine provider. “Patients also get a clear understanding of our targets and goals and have something to shoot for. I’ve been pleased with the results and look forward to having more patients on remote patient monitoring.”

Higi is a consumer health engagement platform that offers scalable chronic condition management via a network of Smart Health Stations, home devices and digital tools. Higi Care Everyday is the company’s chronic care management platform for high acuity patients that leverages Remote Patient Monitoring technology to extend care on behalf of health systems like MSU Health Care, while maintaining their world-class delivery standards. Participants receive a set of devices for at-home use. Credentialed clinicians monitor their health data on an ongoing basis, reaching out regularly if their numbers indicate a potential issue. As part of Higi’s Care Everyday partnership with MSU Health Care, both data from provisioned devices and care manager insights map directly to patient charts providing seamless care between Higi Care Everyday care managers and MSU Health Care Providers. Michigan Community members can sign up for the Remote Patient Monitoring program to benefit from the Higi Care Everyday and MSU Health Care Partnership.

“We are humbled to bring our platform to MSU Health Care patients like Vivian,” said Higi CEO, Jeff Bennett. “It is stories like hers that show the true value of thoughtfully bringing complementary technology into the healthcare setting. As we look forward to building on the foundation of our strong partnership in Michigan with MSU Health Care, Care Everyday will continue to support patients like Vivian across the state to help MSU Health Care reach the patients and communities where it’s needed most.”

The offering provides an additional dedicated clinical point of contact for patients, alongside a seamless digital experience, with data collected through Care Everyday fully integrated into the MSU Health Care patient record. For patients who participate, their Care Everyday health, personal and lifestyle data will be an integral part of their care experience.

Learn more about the service or sign up at higi.healthcare.msu.edu.

Media contact:
Andrea Mackey
(517) 353-1327