Remote Monitoring for Diabetes Aims to Reduce Hospitalizations

Experts say the key is structured workflows, proactive outreach, and authority to adjust medications.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Remote monitoring for patients with diabetes has been on the rise, fueled by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), new reimbursement pathways, and pressure to prevent avoidable admissions. Clinicians report mixed results, with some programs reducing acute events and stabilizing patients post-discharge, while others generate more data than the care team can reasonably act on. Experts say the programs that move the needle share three features: structured workflows, proactive outreach, and authority to adjust medications. The device alone doesn't do it. Adding CGMs to remote patient monitoring has been shown to have an even stronger impact, improving outcomes, reducing the cost of care, and preventing unnecessary utilization.

Why it matters

Remote monitoring for diabetes has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits, but the implementation is critical. Programs that lack structure or clear thresholds for action often fail to generate meaningful changes in admissions or ED use. Targeting high-risk patients and aligning incentives are also key to long-term success.

The details

Many clinicians describe remote monitoring programs as either highly effective or overwhelmingly burdensome, and the difference comes down to the program structure. Successful programs have three key features: structured workflows, proactive outreach, and authority to adjust medications. Programs that simply hand out devices, collect data without clear thresholds, or lack authority to change therapy rarely show meaningful changes in admissions or ED use. Focusing on trends, not isolated numbers, is essential, and triggers must be interpreted through the lens of social determinants of health. High-risk patients, such as those who are insulin-treated, have very high A1c, or have advanced chronic kidney disease, drive the majority of the utilization reductions. Broad enrollment can dilute a program's effectiveness.

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the increase in remote monitoring for diabetes since its emergence.
  • A 2024 study in the Brazilian journal Einstein showed that in a retrospective cohort of adults enrolled in a hospital diabetes program, postdischarge telemonitoring was associated with a 15% lower readmission rate compared with similar patients who did not receive telemonitoring.

The players

Fady Hannah-Shmouni, MD

Medical director at Eli Health.

Ashley Kowalski, RN

Head of clinical innovation at Brentwood, Tennessee-based chronic care management company CareHarmony.

Monica Harmon, MPH, RN

A Philadelphia-based community health consultant who served as the longtime director of the Community Wellness HUB at Drexel University, Philadelphia.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The programs that move the needle share three features: structured workflows, proactive outreach, and authority to adjust medications. The device alone doesn't do it.”

— Fady Hannah-Shmouni, MD, medical director at Eli Health (Medscape)

“Adding CGMs alone has been shown to improve outcomes, reduce the cost of care, and prevent unnecessary utilization. When CGMs are paired with remote patient monitoring, the impact becomes even stronger.”

— Ashley Kowalski, RN, head of clinical innovation at CareHarmony (Medscape)

“If someone is housing or food insecure, stress levels increase, thus raising blood sugar. Plus, if there is insufficient WiFi or access to electricity for charging these devices, the signals cannot be transmitted, or refrigeration of medicines cannot occur.”

— Monica Harmon, MPH, RN, community health consultant (Medscape)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Remote monitoring for diabetes has the potential to reduce hospitalizations, but the implementation is critical. Programs need structured workflows, proactive outreach, and the ability to adjust medications based on the data. Targeting high-risk patients and aligning incentives are also key to long-term success.