Remote Patient Monitoring Can Be a Game-Changer for Healthcare

As the name indicates, remote patient monitoring (RPM) involves the use of technology to monitor patients’ health and vital signs outside clinical settings. It has shown enormous potential to improve accessibility to care and address many inequities. Although the idea behind RPM was conceived over a decade ago, the Covid-19 pandemic pushed many providers as well as patients to re-think their stance on RPM.

Innovations in health information gathering form the cornerstone of remote patient monitoring platforms. Gadgets like Apple’s smartwatches, Fitbits, and other smart wearables capture important vital signs like heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body temperature, and so on. Such devices are an excellent way for providers to track a person’s vitals in real-time.

RPM For Preventive Care

As the old saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.”

Remote patient monitoring services often involve IoT-powered smart gadgets or devices that help monitor patient vitals. This is immensely beneficial for seniors in retirement communities or patients living in assisted living institutions. Such people would have difficulty traveling to clinics for consultations. But with RPM-enabled devices, doctors can collect their health information remotely and assess it to find out any medical risks around the corner.

Healthcare analytics form the backbone of preventive medicine. While remote patient monitoring systems collect health data, advanced algorithms assess the same to detect early signs of disease. Such ability enables doctors to prescribe appropriate medication and recommend changes to lifestyles that would be conducive to wellbeing. Such a preventive approach has led many experts to rethink healthcare and advocate for a more proactive approach, rather than a reactive one that only jumps in during hospitalizations.


Role of RPM in Chronic Care

Almost 50% of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease. Studies have shown that chronic diseases cost the country about $3.7 trillion in lost productivity. Public health experts have even declared this to be a national health crisis. In light of this, providers using a remote patient monitoring system have hinted at its vast potential for chronic care.

Source:

https://www.osplabs.com/remote-patient-monitoring-system/