A Mayo Clinic study indicates that home monitoring kits can identify early complications and reduce travel burdens for transplant recipients.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Early Intervention: Researchers found that nearly half of hospitalizations were preceded by a remote patient monitoring alert within the prior week, suggesting the system helps clinicians identify clinical deterioration early.
- Clinical Action: Approximately 25% of the 470 alerts triggered during the study led to immediate changes in care, including medication adjustments, diagnostic testing, or emergency evaluations.
- Patient Accessibility: The study demonstrated that home monitoring is feasible for a high-risk population living a median distance of 234 miles from the transplant center, with low discontinuation rates among participants.
Mayo Clinic researchers found that remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a feasible and effective way to detect early health changes and support care decisions for lung transplant recipients during their first year after discharge, according to a study published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Open (JHLT Open).
Lung transplant recipients require intensive, ongoing monitoring after surgery to detect complications such as rejection or infection. However, many recipients live far from specialized centers, which can make frequent in-person follow-up care difficult.
“In recent years, we have transplanted patients from 25 states, including Hawaii. RPM allows us to stay closely connected to our patients — no matter where they live — after they return home and respond quickly when changes occur,” said Cassie Kennedy, MD, co-senior author and medical director of the lung transplant program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, in a news release.
Throughout the 12-month study, researchers monitored 116 lung transplant recipients who lived a median distance of 234 miles from the clinic. Patients used a home device kit to track symptoms and physiological data, including lung function, vital signs, and weight, with results transmitted to their electronic healthcare record and care team.
When the system detected abnormal values, alerts were generated and reviewed by the clinical team to determine next steps. In total, nearly 470 alerts were triggered during the study. While most alerts were managed with continued monitoring, about 1 in 4 prompted changes in care, including earlier clinic visits, diagnostic testing, or medication adjustments.
“Just as important, when no abnormalities are detected, patients can be reassured and remain at home,” said Kennedy, in a news release.
The study data showed that nearly half of hospitalizations were preceded by an RPM alert within the prior week, which researchers suggested could help identify early signs of clinical deterioration and support earlier intervention.
“This study shows that a multiparameter, at-home monitoring approach can be successfully implemented in a high-risk population and generate actionable data to support clinical care,” said Ali El Mokahal, MD, first author and pulmonary and critical care medicine fellow at Mayo Clinic, in a news release.
The program also demonstrated strong patient participation and ease of use. Of the 116 patients enrolled, only 15 discontinued participation during the study period, according to the research.
“As these models evolve, they have the potential to transform how we deliver transplant care — expanding access, reducing burden and improving outcomes for patients,” said Kelly Pennington, MD, co-senior author and pulmonologist in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic, in a news release.
