The Digital Health Clinic: A Watershed Year

Launched in 2023, UMass Memorial Health’s Digital Health Clinic — also known as Remote Patient Monitoring — is transforming care for patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and other chronic illnesses by using devices that track weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and more. Care teams review the data daily and intervene early when needed.

“Our goal is to provide an outpatient digital solution for chronic illness,” said John Broach, MD, Director, Division of Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Management, UMass Memorial Health. “We’ve worked hard to remove the barriers that made these programs difficult in the past such as complex billing, confusing data, broken devices. For doctors, it’s now the ‘easy button.’ They get what they need without dealing with vendors or technical issues. It just works.”

The model has already shown impact. “With our heart failure population, for example, we see patients in the hospital and send them home with all the devices they need,” noted Dr. Broach. “The first week after discharge is critical, and monitoring closely has helped prevent readmissions.”

Caitlin McEachern, Director of Digital Health Business Operations, explained that patients feel safer knowing someone is keeping an eye on them. “We’re not just collecting numbers; we’re keeping patients healthier at home.” She added that across UMass Memorial Health, reducing avoidable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits lowers costs and improves outcomes, two crucial advantages for the health system.

The first two years focused on building infrastructure, enrolling patients and ensuring the Digital Health Clinic could work. In 2025, the program reached a turning point from pilot and promise to proof and published papers.

“Today, with about 1,500 patients enrolled, we can start to show statistically significant improvements in outcomes,” said Dr. Broach. He cited the clinic’s roots in the pandemic when UMass Memorial led mobile vaccination efforts and early remote monitoring. “It was about meeting patients where they were. Now, we have the technology, scale and data to do that sustainably.”

The system’s remote patient monitoring program was inspired by a similar program at UMass Memorial Health – Harrington Hospital that has been enormously successful. “Through a partnership with Brook Health, Remote Patient Monitoring has enhanced patient quality of life while improving compliance with key metrics such as A1C control, blood pressure and weight management,” said Ed Moore, President of Harrington. “At Harrington, where over 900 patients are enrolled, it has significantly reduced ED visits and hospital readmissions for heart failure. Additionally, in collaboration with primary care, cardiology and nephrology teams, we’ve seen higher patient engagement scores. The program is a critical part of our strategy to keep our community healthier while reducing reliance on ED and inpatient services.” •