Respiri launches telehealth and remote patient respiratory management program in Australia
Respiri will integrate its wheezo eHealth SaaS monitoring platform into the GPNow telehealth system.
Respiratory health technology company Respiri (ASX: RSH) is trialling a telehealth and remote patient management program in Australia that will also form the basis of the model for the US reimbursement market.
Led by leading respiratory physician Dr Kevin Chan, the program will bring together the treating respiratory specialist, primary care provider, Respiri’s wheezo asthma management device and the company’s Connected Care Nurse team to provide a “world-class ambulatory care service” for patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma.
Dr Chan works at Campbelltown Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital in Wahroonga, New South Wales. He said many patients have come to see him weeks after suffering a wheeze and other respiratory symptoms, making it difficult to paint an accurate or complete picture of the patient’s respiratory condition.
“Through remote digital monitoring and Connected Care consults, I expect to be in a much better position to understand the patient’s progress on a day-to-day basis. This is particularly important for patients with poor asthma control,” Dr Chan added.
Monthly fee to access the program
Patients will be charged a premium monthly product-as-a-service (PaaS) fee to access the telehealth and remote patient program.
Patients’ clinical information will be uploaded regularly for review and the respiratory physician will have real-time access to patient data via the portal. The Connected Care Nurse team will consult with patients monthly to gain patient feedback and provide insight to the patient on their data.
Respiri said it expects to scale the program to other respiratory physicians and create a potential corporate health respiratory offering for employers and companies.
Model for US market to be based on Australian trial
In addition, Respiri said the program will form the basis for the patient model intended for the US reimbursement market.
This market takes advantage of the Remote Patient Monitoring Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes, where Respiri and/or partners can charge a monthly PaaS fee of between US$30-40 (A$39-52) to physicians for each patient they enrol.
Today’s announcement follows the recent approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market and sell the wheezo device over-the-counter to patients with or without a prescription.
Respiri chief executive officer Marjan Mikel said the program represents a “fantastic opportunity” to trial wheezo with PaaS fee-paying patients in a clinical setting.
“[It] will allow us to use real-world data to establish a scalable patient pathway that aims to improve the lives of asthma sufferers across Australia and, very importantly, provide us with the basis of the patient model and programme for the US prescription/reimbursement market,” he added.