Valley Medical Associates, a primary care practice in Massachusetts providing adult and pediatric care, was seeking a solution to monitor and continue to provide high-touch care to its patients with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, but without exposing their patients or their staff to additional risk from in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Valley Medical sought a remote patient monitoring (RPM) program that would ship monitoring devices such as internet-enabled blood pressure machines and glucometers directly to patients’ homes and manage all hardware and software issues remotely; they did not want to store devices and bring patients into the office to onboard them. Also, the practice wanted to avoid the complexity of smartphone apps, Bluetooth integration, logins and passwords for patients, knowing that these may be barriers to use for many older patients.

Valley Medical was able to achieve four goals to optimize the healthcare experience for patients and providers. First, they improved their patients’ experience by providing a safe and easy way for patients to have their chronic conditions monitored without potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19. Second, they improved the health of their patient population by providing closer monitoring and increased opportunities for care despite the pandemic. Valley Medical also helped reduce the cost of care for these patients by helping reduce complications from chronic conditions by managing them more closely. Last, they improved the work life of their provider team by maintaining financial viability without increasing stress or workload in an era when many practices faced closure. Noting tremendously positive feedback from patients and their families, the providers are adding more patients to this invaluable program each month.

Valley Medical was able to achieve four goals to optimize the healthcare experience for patients and providers. First, they improved their patients’ experience by providing a safe and easy way for patients to have their chronic conditions monitored without needing to expose themselves to COVID-19. Second, they improved the health of their patient population by providing closer monitoring and increased opportunities for care despite the pandemic. Valley Medical also helped reduce the cost of care for these patients by helping reduce complications from chronic conditions by managing them more tightly. Last, they improved the work life of their provider team by maintaining financial viability without increasing stress or workload in an era when many practices faced closure. Noting tremendously positive feedback from patients and their families, each month the providers are adding more patients to this invaluable program.