Remote Symptom Monitoring Reduces Hospitalizations in Cancer Patients

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham have made a breakthrough in cancer treatment by implementing remote symptom monitoring (RSM) with electronic patient-reported outcomes. The study found that patients who received RSM had a 19% lower hospitalization rate at 3 months and a 13% lower hospitalization rate at 6 months compared to historical controls.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 1392 patients enrolled in RSM, including 378 Black patients (27%) and 922 White patients (66%), with 262 patients (19%) living in rural areas and 372 patients (27%) living in areas with high neighborhood disadvantage.
  • Compared to historical controls, hospitalizations among patients receiving RSM were 19% lower at 3 months (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.91) and 13% lower at 6 months (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96).
  • ICU admissions were not significantly different among the RSM populations compared to controls (3 months: RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.59-1.13; 6 months: RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.65-1.06).
  • ED visits were similar for both groups (3 months: RR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.89-1.16; 6 months: RR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.92-1.15).
  • The study was supported by the NIH National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), North Carolina Translational and Clinical Science Institute, Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program Grant, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.
  • The research was led by Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, 1808 7TH Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA, and included researchers from the University of Alabama Birmingham, University of Chicago, and other institutions.

Statistics:

  • 1392 patients enrolled in RSM
  • 19% lower hospitalization rate at 3 months (RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.91)
  • 13% lower hospitalization rate at 6 months (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96)
  • 378 Black patients (27%) and 922 White patients (66%) among those enrolled in RSM
  • 262 patients (19%) lived in rural areas and 372 patients (27%) lived in areas with high neighborhood disadvantage

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings in the Area of Cancer Reported from University of Alabama Birmingham (Remote Symptom Monitoring With Electronic Patient-reported Outcomes In Clinical Cancer Populations). Immunotherapy Weekly. June 11, 2025; p 852.
  • JAMA Network Open. Remote Symptom Monitoring With Electronic Patient-reported Outcomes In Clinical Cancer Populations. 2025;8(5).