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Ochsner Digital Medicine reports improved blood-pressure control, seeks renewal approval
Summary
Ochsner presented program outcomes to the board’s committee: 220–225 enrolled employees, a Net Promoter Score of 70 for the district, and an illustrated $2,200 annual savings per participant; staff said program fees are $55–$75 per active member per month and recommended returning a contract renewal to the board in March.
Ochsner Digital Medicine presented performance results and a proposed renewal framework to the board’s committee, reporting measurable clinical improvements among participants and asking the district to consider contract renewal and continued enrollment expansion.
Julie Ruffner, Ochsner Digital Medicine, told the committee the program has about 220–225 current enrollments with 23 participants onboarding. ‘‘As of the end of last year we had 220 total program enrollments. To date we actually have even more than that — we’ve got 225,’’ Ruffner said. She reported a St. Charles Parish Net Promoter Score of about 70 for the district population (program-wide score 79).
Ruffner said an independently validated illustration shows average savings of approximately $2,200 per enrolled participant per year (about $183 per month) derived from lower hospital/ER usage and specialty claims in participating cohorts. Program billing is per active member: $55 per month for a single program (hypertension or diabetes) and $75 per month if a participant enrolls in both programs.
Board members pressed staff on how savings were calculated and asked for specificity on counts and definitions. Ruffner said the savings analysis came from an 18‑month study of roughly 5,000 patients that compared claims utilization between program participants and matched controls and that the vendor’s actuaries validated the method.
Questions focused on compliance and clinical reliability. Ruffner said noncompliance is flagged at 30 days without readings and that participants who do not reengage can be discharged after a re‑engagement window; she also said the vendor will replace faulty devices at no charge. One participant raised concerns about variability in device readings and asked for follow-up. ‘‘If there is ongoing concern about a device, we will gladly ship another one out,’’ Ruffner said.
The committee asked administration to include the digital-medicine renewal on the March board agenda along with clarified cost, enrollment counts and measures of program performance for board review.
Next steps: staff will bring a contract renewal and clarified metrics to the board in March for possible approval.
