Challenge

Laguna Cardiology, under the leadership of Dr. Dawn Atwal, is dedicated to providing high-quality cardiovascular care. The practice recognized an opportunity to enhance patient care through improved monitoring of patient health between regular office visits. Consistent tracking of patient conditions can be crucial in identifying early indicators of potential health issues, enabling timely intervention and potentially reducing the risk of hospital admissions.

Statistically, over 6 million Americans currently live with heart failure, leading to nearly 1 million hospitalizations each year. Recognizing the potential benefits of remote patient monitoring (RPM), Dr. Atwal explored available RPM solutions in 2019. However, she found many of these solutions had restrictive contracts and reimbursement models that were more advantageous to vendors than to medical practices.

Solution

Dr. Atwal selected CCN Health as Laguna Cardiology’s RPM provider due to its transparent pricing, favorable reimbursement model, and flexibility in device pricing and choices. CCN Health offered straightforward, practice-friendly business terms without minimum commitments, allowing Laguna Cardiology to retain most reimbursement revenue.
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Laguna Cardiology and CCN Health worked together to adapt RPM features specifically for cardiology, streamlining clinical workflows and improving ease-of-use. A significant custom feature developed was customizable text message alerts for out-of-range readings, alongside automated encouragement texts for compliant patients. This innovative communication approach actively engaged patients, empowering them to participate more directly in managing their cardiovascular health and promoting sustained behavioral change.

Dr. Atwal shared her experience, stating, "Other software providers often take too much reimbursement from doctors. While software is valuable, medical providers should retain the majority of these payments. CCN Health has been fair, customizing features for our workflow and keeping contract terms simple."

A member of the clinical team at Laguna Cardiology added, "The software makes monitoring patients extremely easy—everything integrates smoothly into our daily routines."

Results

Since implementing CCN Health’s RPM platform, Laguna Cardiology has achieved measurable improvements:

• Patient Compliance: Maintained a 98% patient compliance rate, substantially higher than the industry average of around 70%.
  
  
• Reduced Hospitalizations: Noticeable decrease in heart-related hospitalizations, aligning with studies showing RPM reduces hospital admissions by approximately 40%.
  
  
• Increased Revenue: Generated consistent, recurring revenue through RPM billing for approximately 300 patients, aligning with industry reports estimating average annual RPM revenue potential per patient between $1,200 and $1,500.