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December 2023 TRANSFORMING PATIENT CARE: NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE'S TRAILBLAZING APPROACH TO CGM IN EPICFeaturing: Grazia Aleppo, MD
Northwestern Medicine is charting the future with a transformation in how continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and data integration occurs. An innovative new tool will allow Northwestern Medicine clinicians to view a patient’s Dexcom CGM data directly in the Epic patient chart. Northwestern Medicine Information Services (IS) created a platform called the remote patient monitoring hub, which incorporates data from wearable devices into Epic. The hub is unique to Northwestern Medicine and uses custom code designed by Northwestern Medicine developers to integrate data into Epic., expanding the functionality that Epic offers natively. The platform’s pilot project pulls in CGM data from Dexcom devices; however, the hub will allow NM to manage custom integrations with other devices in the future. Championed by Endocrinologist Grazia Aleppo, MD, FACE, FACP, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Diabetes Education Program and professor of Endocrinology, she collaborated with IS team members, including solution architects, solution engineers, program managers and analysts, to design the custom integration to align with clinical workflows and offer insight into a patient’s progress between visits. “There is an unmet need to make the data available to all clinicians, not just the endocrinologist,” says Dr. Aleppo. “When the patient is co-managed between Endocrinology and Primary Care, we can click a button to see the glucose levels, and management becomes more meaningful for the patient and for continuity of care.” “A practical example is if a patient requires surgery, the best way to determine if the patient is eligible is not the HbA1c which represents the previous 3 months of data, but rather the Time in Target Range (70-180 mg/dL). If a patient has a TIR of 70% or more, their HbA1c is usually less than 7% so that they could be directly be scheduled for surgery instead of solely relying on the HbA1c which has many flaws. 
Dr. Aleppo was recently published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. The article details the methods used to integrate CGM data into NM Epic.
For more information about CGM interpretation, listen to this podcast featuring Dr. Aleppo and Emily Szmuilowicz, MD, about a Step Wise approach to CGM interpretation. (link to Stepwise Approach to Continuous Glucose Monitoring Interpretation for Internists and Family Physicians (nm.org) |
Grazia Aleppo, MD, is a professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, director of the Northwestern Medicine Diabetes Training and Education Program and an expert in diabetes research and clinical care.
Refer a PatientNorthwestern Medicine welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with you in caring for your patients.
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