Type 1 Diabetes Management: Improve Patient Care and Increase Revenue with Remote Patient Monitoring

For endocrinologists, type 1 diabetes management comes with its own set of challenges. Foremost among them is the constant need to monitor each patient’s blood sugar levels, which involves significant time commitments from healthcare providers and staff. For most treatment plans, patients must contact their endocrinologists’ offices when they identify abnormal blood sugar levels so that office staff can evaluate their requests and notify doctors as needed. Yet this work is often performed without compensation, which can be a drain on practice resources and reduce profitability. In this article, we discuss how remote patient monitoring (RPM) can improve patient care and benefit a practice’s finances at the same time.

RPM’s Evolution

Remote patient monitoring has revolutionized how healthcare providers interact with their patients. This is particularly true for those suffering from chronic disease, and type 1 diabetes management is no exception. RPM allows providers to closely monitor patients’ health in real time through the use of wearable devices that record patient symptom data and share it directly with providers’ internal software. This data collection and analysis can provide better symptom accuracy and serve as an early warning system when those symptoms indicate potential health complications. This enhanced intervention has already been shown to improve health outcomes.

That’s why TriageLogic is a proud supporter of RPM services for diabetes control, and why we offer triage nurses who can perform this data analysis on behalf of endocrinologists. This takes the onus of data review off of their office staff and turns what was once unpaid work into profitable services.

Let’s explore how our RPM program can benefit your team.

Diabetes-Specific RPM Program

Our RPM systems collect and analyze real-time data for blood glucose. Our triage nurses can talk with your patients about how to use their RPM devices to ensure accurate levels are recorded. Patients are also advised to wear these devices daily so that endocrinologists can make effective assessments and intervene before patients would normally call them. 

24/7 Nurse Call Center

We have a dedicated call center that is staffed by registered nurses who are trained on how to review RPM data, and are available to respond at any time. These nurses contribute to your type 1 diabetes management by reviewing patient vitals regularly, and by using nurse triage protocols to determine when a respective patient needs to be seen by their physician. Our triage nurses serve as a dedicated support line for your RPM patients to evaluate and answer any of their concerns.

Transforming Unpaid Work Into Revenue

Using our RPM system, tasks that were previously performed without compensation are now billable services. This includes time spent reviewing and interpreting patient data, which you can get reimbursed by CMS — often at a sizable savings.

Exactly how much are we talking? “CMS approved reimbursements of $120 per patient per month. Thinking bigger, if 50 patients are enrolled in an RPM program, a doctor’s office can generate $72,000 a year in revenue.”

A Note About CGM

Part of RPM for type 1 diabetes management can include the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This involves either tiny, disposable sensors that are inserted under the skin and secured with patches, or implantable sensors that are placed deeper inside a patient’s body. Both types check for high blood sugar by measuring the glucose levels present in the fluid between cells, and transmit that data to provider systems.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see more companies try to integrate insulin pumps with CGM so that insulin doses are automatically injected when sensors detect the need. The Food and Drug Administration already received an application for this type of closed-loop system last year.

Improve Chronic Care With RPM

Our RPM solution is more than advanced technology — it’s a long-term, strategic tool to enhance how endocrinologists respond to people who have type 1 diabetes. It empowers those providers to offer better care, reduces the workloads of their respective office staff, and converts unpaid work into revenue generation. When you’re ready to revolutionize disease control and prevention, we’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss a program.