Remote Monitoring Reduces Infection Hospitalization in Heme Malignancies

James Essell, MD, medical oncologist at Sarah Cannon Research Institute at OHC, the US Oncology Network, discusses the impact of a proprietary remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) program on infection-related outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies. Infections are a frequent cause of unplanned hospitalizations in these patients, often resulting from treatment toxicities or the underlying disease.

The study was conducted at Highlands Oncology Group, a community oncology practice. Patients receiving systemic therapy for various hematological malignancies, including multiple myeloma, lymphoma, and chronic leukemias, were included. Participation in the Canopy RTM system was voluntary.

• The RTM group consisted of 349 patients who submitted symptom reports within 30 days of first anti-cancer treatment⁷.
• The nonenrolled group included 1,296 patients⁸.
• The RTM system uses ePRO-based (electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes) symptom notifications. Symptoms exceeding a preset severity threshold were evaluated by a dedicated triage nursing staff for further action, such as telephonic triage or urgent office evaluation.
• Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used for statistical analysis to account for potential non-random selection.

Over 2 years, patients in the RTM group showed a significant reduction in infection-related inpatient stays (2.6% vs 4.5%; weighted P =.0147) and fewer infection-related emergency room visits (6.6% vs 9.4%; weighted P =.047$) compared to the nonenrolled group.

The RTM group also received significantly more oral antibiotics (38% vs 29%; P <.0125).

The authors conclude that the use of RTM reduces the risk of hospitalization due to infection, likely because of the earlier administration of outpatient oral antibiotics. The program also reduces the need for emergency room evaluations. The broad implementation of RTM is presented as a scalable strategy to decrease infection-associated hospitalizations, reduce costs, and enhance the safe administration of therapeutics.

REFERENCE

Essell J, Ascha M, Schaefer E, et al. Remote therapeutic monitoring reduces hospitalization due to infection in patients being treated for hematological malignancy. Presented at: 67th ASH Annual Meeting; December 6–9, 2025; Orlando, Florida. Abstract 131.