During the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients were forced not to visit the hospital for treatment. The lockdowns and fear of the infection prompted digital technologies to keep hospitals up and to run. These advanced technologies enable doctors to monitor their patient’s health through digital solutions. So, what is remote patient monitoring?
What is Remote Patient Monitoring?
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a healthcare delivery technique that utilizes advanced technology to collect patient data. It is a type of telehealth used in the physiologic monitoring of patients’ health. RPM taps into cutting-edge technology to enable communication between clinicians and their patients.
RPM is efficient and effective and has an increasing adoption rate. According to research performed in 2020, about 23.4 million patients in the United States use RPM tools and services. It’s predicted that by 2024, these tools and services will reach 30 million American patients.
What Can Remote Patient Monitoring Devices be Used For?
Healthcare providers are now able to monitor their patients’ health status remotely. RPM tools like smartwatches and spirometers measure and monitor diverse clinical variables. They send the collected patient data to the healthcare provider. Also, these devices send alerts to the doctor if the values are out of range. Some of the clinical variables include:
- Blood sugar levels
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Weight
- Infertility
Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring
There are several benefits associated with the use of RPM tools and services. They include:
- RPM tools and services decrease emergencies by helping prevent life-threatening conditions.
- With RPM, patients receive high-quality care as facilities aren’t too busy.
- Another advantage of RPM is that patients are more engaged since they understand more about their health.
- With RPM, there’s the prevention of the spread of both infectious diseases and hospital-acquired diseases.
- The easy-to-use RPM tools help patients improve their care plan and self-management adherence.
- RPM tools and services enable patients to improve their productivity at work since they avoid inconveniences and expenses associated with visiting the hospital.
- RPM helps lighten the pressure of over-scheduled in-person visits by allowing doctors to provide the needed care virtually.