All patients listen to the instructions from their doctor, but not all follow through once they leave a healthcare professional's office. Also, certain hospital readmissions are inevitable and unavoidable, despite the best efforts of clinicians.
Organizations rely on remote patient monitoring (RPM) and tele-health solutions to minimize readmissions and enhance results. Some patients are given wearable devices to use at home to track metrics, such as blood pressure, weight, and oxygen saturation when considered ready.
The technology paired with videoconferencing provides a means to keep tabs from afar. This continuity of care aids in saving time and preventing uncertainty. Read more about RPM here, and how it works.
What Is RPM?
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) makes use of digital technologies to collect medical and other health data types from persons at a location and safely transfer the information to health care providers at another location for evaluation and feedback.
This type of service enables a provider to monitor a patient's health data until released to a home or care facility, minimizing readmission rates. Health professionals track these patients remotely and operate as part of the care plan according to the information obtained.
Monitoring programs can acquire a wide variety of health data from the point of care, including vital signs, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, blood oxygen levels, and electrocardiograms.
In facilities like monitoring centers in primary care environments, hospitals, intensive care units, skilled nursing facilities, and integrated off-site case management services, this data is distributed to health professionals.
How RPM Works
Although RPM techniques can differ depending on the device being used or condition being tracked, similar components are included in most of the technology. The first is a wireless sensor, capable of measuring basic physiological parameters and storing the data it collects.
A means of connecting to new sensors, databases of healthcare providers, and related applications must also be included in this storage. Applications usually offer an interface for users to monitor or review data and view recommendations for treatment.
The data that RPM devices obtain is delivered to the proper location and saved in a relational database. This helps healthcare institutions with wireless telecommunications data to be viewed as isolated cases or in the sense of full health history.
Sometimes, when a healthcare provider has checked at the data or identifies a concern that requires the patient to come in, the device will alert patients.
Benefits of RPM
RPM devices enable patients to perform a vital role in handling their own medical conditions and understanding them. It also provides access to more meaningful medical data for patients and health care providers, enhancing the overall quality and value-based care.
As RPM helps patients complete necessary health checks independently, more patients are likely to be treated by health care professionals. It offers regular information and feedback to patients about their personal conditions, educates them, and assists.
Constant monitoring will give patients peace of mind to identify any possible concerns in a timely fashion. Monitoring services can also help keep people healthy, make it easier for the elderly and people with disabilities to live longer at home.
RPM will also help minimize the number of hospitalizations, readmissions, and hospital stay lengths — all of which help improve the standard of living and involve costs.
Conclusion
Many people know that RPM helps healthcare professionals to receive vitals and other essential information from patients who are monitored from the convenience of their own homes.
By maintaining constant communication between patients and doctors, these patient monitors help doctors minimize the number of hospital readmissions and maintain stability for patients suffering from chronic diseases.
