Benefits of a Patient-centered Remote Therapy Monitoring Program Focusing on Increased Adherence to Wound Therapy

BACKGROUND: Patient nonadherence to wound care protocols may impact the efficacy of modalities such as negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). Recently, a remote therapy monitoring (RTM) system has been devised for use with NPWT for patients receiving homecare. 

OBJECTIVE: The authors present 3 cases to examine the relationship between patients using the RTM system and virtual therapy specialists (VTS). 

CASE 1: A 78-year-old woman was discharged home with a RTM-equipped NPWT unit to manage a sacral pressure injury after an acute inpatient stay. In the first week, the VTS discovered the patient was legally blind and lived alone with cats that would sit in her lap and inadvertently turn off the unit, causing frequent nonadherence. The VTS alerted the patient’s clinician and coordinated a resolution to the issues, allowing her to remain adherent to therapy (10 nonadherent vs. 39 adherent days). 

CASE 2: A 57-year-old woman, who developed a surgical site infection after a ventral hernia repair, was discharged home with a RTM-equipped NPWT unit. After the welcome call, the patient proactively initiated calls to the VTS in which concerns and technical issues were addressed, allowing the patient to remain adherent to therapy (8 nonadherent vs. 49 adherent days). One call placed by the patient facilitated communication between the home health nurse and the VTS. Afterwards, the nurse initiated 3 calls to the VTS, requesting assistance with dressing application techniques and troubleshooting. 

CASE 3: A 53-year-old woman was discharged home with a RTM-equipped NPWT unit to manage a dehisced surgical wound after a hysterectomy. The patient resumed work shortly after starting NPWT and the VTS advised her on how to discreetly manage NPWT in the workplace, which helped prevent nonadherence (0 nonadherent days). 

CONCLUSIONS: In these 3 cases, RTM addressed individual barriers to promote adherence to NPWT.

CITATION
Lumpkins A, Stanton T. Benefits of a patient-centered remote therapy monitoring program focusing on increased adherence to wound therapy. Poster presented at: Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall; November 2-4, 2018; Las Vegas, NV.

Products: iOn PROGRESS Remote Therapy Monitoring (KCI, an Acelity Company, San Antonio, TX); and ACTIV.A.C. Therapy System (KCI, an Acelity Company)

This abstract was not subject to the WOUNDS peer-review process.