Remote patient monitoring allows healthcare practitioners to use technologies that can monitor and collect data related to their patient’s health from afar. This relatively new method of providing health care offers benefits to patients, caregivers, and practitioners.
It makes virtual healthcare more accessible to populations that have historically been marginalized, improves communication between patients and their providers, and lets patients help monitor and manage their own health. It also reduces travel associated with in-person visits as well as the cost of treatment.
Here are six of the benefits of RPM:
1. More Efficient Use of Clinical Staff
RPM streamlines both patient care and administrative tasks. This lifts clinical staff productivity and helps facilities face challenges like staff shortages without compromising patient care. Patients can be appropriately monitored without requiring an in-person visit or requiring a clinician to physically be in attendance. Practitioners can work where their physical presence will do the most good. When routine monitoring isn’t taking up the majority of staff members’ time, they are free for more complex tasks.
2. Improved Communication between Patients and Clinicians
To ensure RPM services continue to be used, patients need to be satisfied with the care they receive. Patients need to have a good relationship with their providers, who must communicate clearly and honestly with them about their health.
RPM can facilitate the relationship between patients and their healthcare providers. It provides tools to help people better understand their health. That will facilitate the process of communicating their needs and concerns to their providers. With the relevant data on hand, providers can respond without the person necessarily having to schedule an in-person visit.
Having one-on-one contact with clinicians can help alleviate some of the stress that patients with chronic conditions (and their carers) experience when managing their symptoms. It improves transparency and allows patients to be more involved in managing their care and treatment. Using RPM technologies is more likely to result in a positive health outcome.
3. Reduced Stress and Improved Patient Mental Health
A clear channel of communication reassures patients that their health condition is being monitored by professionals. Having this assurance can improve the well-being of patients who have high-risk health conditions. A positive mental attitude can reduce symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. It can also lower your blood pressure, reducing the hypertension that is associated with cardiovascular disease.
4. Increased Revenue
Virtual health services cost much less than in-person care. Healthcare facilities will benefit from increased net patient revenue when they implement remote patient monitoring.
5. Clinician Access to Real-time Data between Visits
RPM lets clinicians monitor patients between visits, giving them a clearer picture of their condition and potential triggers that may cause it to flare. Having access to health-related data in real-time enables practitioners to make proactive decisions as well as monitor and track symptoms over time. This allows a clinician to better understand health trends and adjust the treatment plan where necessary.
6. Relief for Patients with Chronic Health Conditions
Cardiovascular disease is a silent killer that causes more than 877,500 deaths in the US every year. In the past, patients with cardiovascular disease or serious health conditions such as diabetes or COPD have had to seek ongoing treatment. This often required regular in-person visits or lengthy hospital stays.
RPM can mitigate some of the inconvenience and expense of monitoring chronic health conditions. However, patients still have the peace of mind that their health condition is being monitored and that they are receiving the care they need. RPM tools can give patients more control over their own health while having close communication with their healthcare provider can boost confidence and alleviate the stress associated with managing chronic health conditions.
According to the CDC, six out of every 10 adult Americans have a chronic disease, while four out of 10 have at least two. Improving accessibility to treatment together with lowering costs through RPM solutions will allow the healthcare system to shift its focus from preventing chronic disease rather than managing it. RPM allows patients and healthcare providers to actively monitor a patient’s condition. From there, proactive measures can be taken when necessary, potentially keeping patients out of hospital and saving lives.
Conclusion
The pace at which this technology improves will be largely dependent upon the pace of its adoption. The more comfortable people feel with the concept and the more rapidly they start using it, the faster the technology will become widespread and ubiquitous, starting a virtuous cycle. Just like TV sets and cell phones seemingly get twice as good for half the price every year, the cost of quality healthcare for everyone will decrease.