With lockdowns and social distancing implemented around the world, it comes as no surprise that businesses are now offering their services online to reach out to their customers. The same is true for healthcare providers, who have now resorted to telemedicine, remote consultations, and other online means of providing the care their patients need.
One such service that has entered the virtual realm is chronic care management (CCM). With the help of remote patient monitoring, those dealing with chronic conditions who are at high risk amid the pandemic are getting the healthcare that they deserve.
The nature of chronic conditions as a whole, together with the current complications presented by the global pandemic, has made remote CCM crucial to many lives. While the reasons behind this are many, this article will break down some of the most noteworthy ones.
The importance of going virtual with chronic care management
In the US alone, chronic problems affect over a hundred million Americans, a figure that is only projected to grow higher as patients lock themselves away at home in fear of catching the virus. Add that to the fact that most healthcare efforts are directed at patients with chronic issues, and it is not surprising to see why offering online chronic care management has become much more of a necessity than ever before.
The core of chronic care management is to help patients understand their progress through their condition to help them quickly identify any symptoms or signs that can be of great concern. However, the only way for these patients to know is to be guided by experts, like physicians. These professionals actively monitor the patient, look out for symptoms, and read signs that show insight into their patients’ conditions. This is important for many reasons, but above all, it helps both the patient and physician quickly identify the condition’s progress before it is too late.
For many healthcare institutions, especially the large ones, chronic care management has already integrated some online functionality, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Due to this, the coronavirus’s impact has not been too severe, as patients can still be monitored even when isolated.
However, for many other clinics out there that have not yet implemented virtual care, the importance of remote patient monitoring cannot be stressed enough. Through it, healthcare professionals can monitor their patients during the pandemic and also well past the crisis is over, ensuring that patients get the medical attention they need.
Conclusion
Isolation has had a detrimental effect on many people, especially those dealing with chronic health issues. Because of this, healthcare service providers must start to offer virtual care, such as remote patient monitoring, to continue caring for their patients as if they were at the clinic. This can ensure that services, such as CCM, can be provided, keeping the patient in check, and making sure they are not in danger of developing life-threatening symptoms.
Virtual services can also reinforce a healthcare provider’s care for their patient, helping patients feel supported and assured during this trying time. This support can be the difference between an individual getting the care they need and not bothering to seek medical help.
Are you looking to enhance your chronic care management program by going virtual? Medistics Health can help you out by offering you a remote patient monitoring system to track your patient’s progress! Reach out to us today and get started.