Remote patient monitoring

Remote patient monitoring allows healthcare providers to monitor the health of their patients remotely through mobile and at-home devices. This can be particularly helpful in managing both acute and chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, asthma, cancer, and sleep patterns. This can be done through devices that monitor blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and more.
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Remote patient monitoring will look different depending on the device and treatment goals. For example, some devices may necessitate periodic self-testing by the patient themselves. Others may automatically collect measurements and data which are then sent to the provider via the patient’s electronic health record. Other RPM systems allow individuals to connect their personal smartwatch or phone to the provider’s system.
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There are a number of benefits to monitoring patients remotely, including:
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Timely detection. Traditional medicine relies on intermittent office visits or ER trips to see and monitor a patient’s health. When data is collected continuously and remotely, providers can detect issues early and intervene immediately, leading to better outcomes.
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Improved clinical decision making. Getting RPM data can help healthcare providers make more informed and timely decisions about a patient’s health. It also gives providers a more holistic understanding of the patient’s health, helping to tailor treatment plans.
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Cost-effectiveness. This will vary depending on the nature of the monitoring, but the cost savings can be significant with RPM in many cases. For example, a study in 2021 indicated that COVID-19 patients monitored remotely after discharge had 87% less hospitalizations and 77% less deaths.