Remote patient monitoring, (RPM) is an aspect of telehealth medical care that has become more prevalent since COVID-19 entered the scene. Although the service has been available for many years, more and more doctors and healthcare professionals are seeing it as a way to improve patient outcomes.
How It Works
RPM utilizes digital technologies in order to collect patient health data. The data is collected from patients at one location and then electronically transmitted to another secure location where it can be accessed and analyzed by medical experts.
This service allows healthcare providers to track the health status of patients after they have been released from a care facility, or as part of ongoing health management.
For allergy and asthma specialists, RPM is often used to monitor FEV1% along with other data points used in diagnosing and treating patients with asthma. The analysis of data collected over time even makes it possible to predict an escalation before it occurs.
The Benefits of RPM
The role and benefits of RPM for both healthcare workers and patients have been documented and show promise. For example, one study found that daily spirometry may be of value for detecting the progression of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
RPM allows patients better access to their healthcare providers and encourages them to take a more active role in managing their health. This type of patient-provider relationship is integral to a value-based system.
How To Get Started With RPM
It’s common for an RPM program to stem from an initiative where the goal is to take the clinical burden off of staff through a “virtual medical office” of sorts.
To effectively accomplish this in your healthcare facility, patient engagement is a crucial key to success. When launching an RPM program, it’s crucial that doctors communicate with their patients the need to take responsibility, especially in areas such as regularly taking vitals or in the case of asthma management and daily spirometry.
Clinics and other healthcare facilities can help encourage their engagement through incentives that will help keep patients invested in their own care, reminding them of the care they can receive from the comfort of their own homes.
As you can see, remote patient monitoring is an extremely effective way to monitor patient health that has the potential to quickly become a pillar in the field of medical care. While RPM programs are likely to require a little bit of patience and experimentation, the benefits are evident.
