Cancer patients enrolled in a digital symptom-monitoring program after hospital discharge had a 30-day readmission rate 7 percentage points lower than patients receiving usual care, according to a study published in npj Digital Medicine.
Researchers from New York City-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center analyzed 1,713 patients discharged home after a medical oncology hospital stay between April and September 2024 to measure the program’s effect on readmissions and emergency department visits.
Here are five things to know:
- For 10 days after discharge, patients in the program received daily symptom check-ins through Memorial Sloan Kettering’s patient portal, along with self-care guidance based on their answers. Moderate or severe symptoms triggered alerts to their oncology nurses.
- Thirty-day readmission rates were 30% for patients in the program and 37% for those receiving usual care.
Ninety-day readmission rates were 48% and 54%, and emergency department visits without an admission within 30 days of discharge were 12% and 17%, respectively. - Of the 894 patients assigned to the program, 56.6% completed at least one check-in. Participation was 63% among white patients and 47% among nonwhite patients.
- The program required no additional staff. Patients’ primary oncology nurses monitored alerts on weekdays, and after-hours triage nurses covered weekends.
Nursing calls rose in the first 10 days after discharge, but among patients who received at least one call, the average over 30 days did not differ between groups, at 4.9 calls per patient. - Based on the lower readmission rate, the researchers estimated the program would result in about 120 fewer readmissions over five months and save roughly $3.6 million annually.
Read the full study here.
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