If you have patients with chronic conditions, you know how important it is to monitor their health round the clock. But with the pandemic still affecting people, going to clinics and hospitals has become even riskier. Thankfully, utilizing remote patient monitoring (RPM) systems is now a possibility.
As more practices adopt newer solutions to medical problems, remote patient monitoring systems have proven to be a useful technology that allows tracking of patients’ data outside of the clinic. RPM tools enable patients to gather relevant health information wherever they are and send them to their healthcare provider in an instant.
But is this new method of patient monitoring as convenient and beneficial as it sounds?
This system’s key elements are the software, the tool or gadget, and the digital connection used to gather data and transmit it. Depending on what they’re dealing with, whether it’s diabetes, hypertension, or other health conditions, the tool that the patient uses may be as simple as a smartwatch or a patient-implanted monitoring device. Whichever tool it may be, the goal remains the same – to allow patients to track their health while they continue doing their everyday activities and reduce the cost of monitoring.
Now that you know a little more about remote patient monitoring, here are three distinct benefits that come with it:
1. Improved Chronic Care Management
The RPM system can result in better chronic care management, thanks to the more convenient way of collecting and analyzing patient-generated data. For instance, when you get notified of a hypertensive person’s high blood pressure, you can immediately provide information to the patient so that they know what to do. As such, when you have access to data that gives you an insight into the bigger picture, you can manage the condition better and help patients reach their health goals.
2. Lessened Number of Emergencies and Readmissions
As a result of the improved chronic condition management, hospitalizations and ER visits will be lessened as well. For instance, an RPM system can help patients measure their blood sugar and know when they should work harder to keep the normal range numbers. By doing so, they can also minimize the occurrence of hypoglycemia or other serious emergency situations that could be costly.
3. Lightened Burden on Patients and Healthcare Providers
Because information is collected remotely then sent and analyzed digitally, patients can get the care that they need without even going to the clinic. This is a huge convenience, especially as the COVID-19 virus is still rampant. RPM systems also help the current healthcare facilities’ situation, where they are experiencing shortages of beds and PPEs. Likewise, this device lessens the number of virus transmission in healthcare facilities.
Conclusion
The use of remote patient monitoring in health care facilities is growing fast as physicians and patients realize the benefits that it offers. Presently, specialists like cardiologists use advanced tools for accurate monitoring of their patients with chronic heart problems. RPM devices can also keep track of the electrical activity of the heart no matter what the patient may be doing. This gives health care professionals a more comprehensive picture, one that may even be better than an ECG conducted on-site.
The future of RPM looks bright, and established companies are working on improving the technology used in the tools for remote monitoring even further. It can’t be denied that this remote-tracking method will play a big part in the medical and health care industry in the not so distant future. Are you ready to simplify the way you provide patient care?
Medistics can help you manage your patients’ health on a daily basis, as well as schedule appointments, process referrals and medication refills, and more. The high level of chronic care management we provide for your patients can make their entire experience and their health better. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services!