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A retrospective cohort study published in JCO Oncology Practice by Benjamin A. Derman, MD, and colleagues found that an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO)-based remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) platform significantly reduced infection-related hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits among patients with hematologic malignancies, with estimated annual savings approaching $1 million per 1,000 patients.
The study collected data from five community oncology clinics using the Canopy ePRO platform, which is integrated directly into the electronic medical record. Researchers compared 349 patients actively enrolled in the ePRO program with 1,296 unenrolled patients, using propensity score weighting to control for differences between groups. Infection-related ED visits were 34% lower in the ePRO group (weighted relative risk ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.96), and infection-related hospital admissions were reduced by more than half (weighted relative risk ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.89). Outpatient antibiotic use was higher in the monitored group, consistent with earlier identification and treatment of infections, thereby preventing acute escalation.
Applying unit costs to weighted event rates, investigators estimated combined savings of $977,695 per 1,000 patients per year. The community clinic setting strengthens the case for broader payer adoption, as these sites serve populations with less access to intensive academic monitoring infrastructure. The authors note that as hematologic therapies with complex toxicity profiles expand, ePRO-based monitoring platforms may offer a scalable means of reducing avoidable utilization.
