Deborah Heart and Lung Center Introduces Remote Patient Monitoring for COPD Patients


“This is a great step forward for our COPD patients. We expect that this same-day symptom feedback loop will help prevent a worsening of symptoms, and will provide us the ability to head off any problems before they escalate,” said Andrew Martin, MD, Chair, Pulmonary Medicine at Deborah.

Deborah Heart and Lung Center, New Jersey’s only specialty heart, lung, and vascular hospital, and an Alliance member of the Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, has announced the introduction of remote patient monitoring for patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is a growing and devastating disease and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 16 million American adults are diagnosed with the condition every year, and another 12 million people are believed to be undiagnosed. COPD is a progressive disease with restricted airflow causing difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing. Patients diagnosed with COPD require physician monitoring to prevent the disease from progressing.

With the expansion of telemedicine and remote monitoring services prompted by the Coronavirus epidemic, Deborah has instituted a new remote patient monitoring services platform. Called HGE Care™ the remote monitoring platform is designed for COPD patients who have been discharged from the hospital and are recuperating at home.

“This is a great step forward for our COPD patients who are particularly vulnerable after a hospital stay,” said Andrew Martin, MD, Chair, Pulmonary Medicine at Deborah. “In order to provide the absolute best health outcomes for our patients, when they are discharged they will be set-up on their smartphones with a secure, private communication with our contact center, so they can report on their symptoms daily. If there is a change in a patient’s status, the contact center will immediately alert us, and the patient will receive a call from their physician for further follow-up.”

Dr. Martin added: “We expect that this same-day symptom feedback loop will help prevent a worsening of symptoms, and will provide us the ability to head off any problems before they escalate.”

HGE Health, the platform’s developer, points to HGE Care as a critical bridge between patients and physicians.

“We know that patients discharged from the hospital are highly vulnerable and clinically fragile,” said Michael J. Markus, Ph.D., CEO, HGE Health. “Partnering with a hospital like Deborah allows us to support these patients on their journey to health.”

The HGE Care Contact Center is staffed by pulmonary nurses and healthcare coordinators and operates from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Built on clinical protocols developed and supported by 17 years of research, the Company’s technology has compiled the longest-running and world’s largest longitudinal data set of COPD symptoms, interventions, and clinical management to help physicians provide care for a diverse COPD and pulmonary patient population.

About Deborah Heart and Lung Center

Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ is a teaching hospital that specializes in the diagnosis, research, and treatment of heart, lung, and vascular diseases, as well as providing outpatient cardiology services for children. Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader in patient care and innovative healing and is an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute. For more information visit http://www.DemandDeborah.org

About HGE Health

Headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, HGE Health harnesses its deep experience in chronic disease management and digital health in pulmonary disease, telemedicine, and mobile health to develop a clinical services platform that delivers better care faster at a much lower cost for patients, physicians and payors. Built on clinical protocols developed and supported by 16 years of research, the company’s technology has compiled the longest-running and world’s largest longitudinal data set of COPD symptoms, interventions, and clinical management to help physicians provide care for a geographically and socio-economically diverse COPD and pulmonary patient population.

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