Microsoft Corp. (Redmond, Wash.) announced early results from a Chronic Condition Management (CCM) platform deployment at Denver Health. The platform is the foundation of a larger program designed to encourage patients to self-manage conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes affects more than 25 million people, or a little more than 8 percent of the U.S. population. Because of this, during the demonstration and study phases of the program, Denver Health first assessed the effectiveness of a between-visit, chronic-disease management program for its high-risk diabetes patients. The program is based on a bidirectional, CCM platform that enables patient-provider communication. It facilitates patient-provided data collection through text message queries to diabetic patients about home blood sugar measurements and also facilitates sending reminders to patients of upcoming appointments. Case coordinators at Denver Health review self-reported patient data and follow up with patients by phone, in accordance with established clinical guidelines.
In the first phase of Denver Health’s CCM program, patients both responded to the text messages and improved their home glucose monitoring. Providers reported on the engagement of patients around their diabetes care and on the identification of patients suffering from low blood sugar.
