Remote patient monitoring and caregiver education for children with failure to thrive: a quasi-experimental study.
7 affiliations
- 1Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Children's of Mississippi, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 2School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 3Center for Telehealth, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 4Division of Pediatric Palliative Care, Children's of Mississippi, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 5Division of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 6Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
- 7Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine/John D. Bower School of Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
Abstract
Failure to Thrive (FTT), also known as growth or weight faltering, is characterized by inadequate weight gain, poor growth, and potential developmental delays. Affecting up to 10% of outpatient pediatric populations and 5% of hospitalized children, FTT is particularly common among children with medical complexity. Traditional management depends on frequent in-person visits, which create barriers and delay interventions. To address these barriers, this study evaluated Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) combined with caregiver education as a proactive, cost-conscious approach to FTT management. A quasi-experimental cohort study was conducted with children (ages 1-10 years) with FTT and requiring feeding tube support. Families transmitted weekly weight and feeding data using Bluetooth-enabled scales, supplemented by structured caregiver education. Outcomes included weight, hospital and emergency department (ED) utilization, and cost of care. All 15 participants completed the six-month RPM program. Forty-two percent of participants (n = 6) achieved upward weight trends, 50% (n = 8) maintained stable weights, and 8% (n = 1) experienced a weight decline. Hospitalizations averaged 0.33 per patient pre-intervention, 0.60 during the intervention, and 0.33 post-intervention. Median hospitalizations were 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 0) pre-intervention, 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) during the intervention, and 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 0.5) post-intervention. Emergency department visits averaged 1.07 pre-intervention, 0.60 during the intervention, and 0.87 post-intervention. Median ED visits were 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) pre-intervention, 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) during the intervention, and 1 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 2) post-intervention. Median costs increased during the intervention phase before declining in the post-intervention period, despite mean costs being skewed upward by high utilizers. An RPM program integrated with caregiver education demonstrated feasibility in supporting proactive management of pediatric FTT. The intervention supported weight monitoring in this medically complex pediatric population, although healthcare utilization and costs varied across study periods. These preliminary findings support RPM may be a useful approach for managing pediatric FTT.
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BibTeX
@article{tisdale2026remote,
title = {{Remote patient monitoring and caregiver education for children with failure to thrive: a quasi-experimental study.}},
author = {Jennifer Tisdale and Kaitlyn B Newbaker and Joy B Green and Regina QaDan and Md Rokibul Hasan and Lindsey B Kuiper and Chris Collado and Vinayak K Nahar and Jenna L Dear},
journal = {Frontiers in pediatrics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fped.2026.1823172},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953066},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Remote patient monitoring and caregiver education for children with failure to thrive: a quasi-experimental study.
AU - Jennifer Tisdale
AU - Kaitlyn B Newbaker
AU - Joy B Green
AU - Regina QaDan
AU - Md Rokibul Hasan
AU - Lindsey B Kuiper
AU - Chris Collado
AU - Vinayak K Nahar
AU - Jenna L Dear
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in pediatrics
DO - 10.3389/fped.2026.1823172
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953066
AB - Failure to Thrive (FTT), also known as growth or weight faltering, is characterized by inadequate weight gain, poor growth, and potential developmental delays. Affecting up to 10% of outpatient pediatric populations and 5% of hospitalized children, FTT is particularly common among children with medical complexity. Traditional management depends on frequent in-person visits, which create barriers and delay interventions. To address these barriers, this study evaluated Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) combined with caregiver education as a proactive, cost-conscious approach to FTT management. A quasi-experimental cohort study was conducted with children (ages 1-10 years) with FTT and requiring feeding tube support. Families transmitted weekly weight and feeding data using Bluetooth-enabled scales, supplemented by structured caregiver education. Outcomes included weight, hospital and emergency department (ED) utilization, and cost of care. All 15 participants completed the six-month RPM program. Forty-two percent of participants (n = 6) achieved upward weight trends, 50% (n = 8) maintained stable weights, and 8% (n = 1) experienced a weight decline. Hospitalizations averaged 0.33 per patient pre-intervention, 0.60 during the intervention, and 0.33 post-intervention. Median hospitalizations were 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 0) pre-intervention, 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) during the intervention, and 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 0.5) post-intervention. Emergency department visits averaged 1.07 pre-intervention, 0.60 during the intervention, and 0.87 post-intervention. Median ED visits were 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) pre-intervention, 0 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 1) during the intervention, and 1 (Q1 = 0, Q3 = 2) post-intervention. Median costs increased during the intervention phase before declining in the post-intervention period, despite mean costs being skewed upward by high utilizers. An RPM program integrated with caregiver education demonstrated feasibility in supporting proactive management of pediatric FTT. The intervention supported weight monitoring in this medically complex pediatric population, although healthcare utilization and costs varied across study periods. These preliminary findings support RPM may be a useful approach for managing pediatric FTT.
SN - 2296-2360
ER -