Remote Patient Monitoring, or RPM for short, is a rapidly growing technology with many benefits. Estimates show that over 70 million patients, or more than 26% of the population, will use RPM tools by 2025. It allows medical professionals to monitor and track patient health data from virtually anywhere in the world.
RPM is an invaluable tool for healthcare providers as it offers improved patient care, enhanced communication between patients and doctors, and reduced costs.
Below are the top benefits of remote patient monitoring and why it is becoming a must-have technology for today’s healthcare providers.
1. Improves Patient Engagement
Patient engagement is an important element of any successful medical practice.
RPM can help to improve patient engagement by giving them access to self-monitoring tools, such as fitness trackers and blood pressure cuffs that allow them to track their health data over time.
Additionally, patients can communicate with their healthcare provider in between visits, giving them an easier way to ask questions and get advice.
2. Increases Patient Satisfaction
Patients will have a more comprehensive view of their health, which can help to improve their satisfaction with their healthcare provider.
They may have a better understanding of the changes in their health over time due to the more comprehensive data that RPM provides.
RPM also makes it easier for providers to adjust medications and treatments, as needed, to ensure that the patient is still getting the best possible care.
3. Reduces the Cost of Care
RPM can reduce the need for in-person visits by giving patients access to self-monitoring tools.
This reduces strain on provider resources and allows providers to focus on providing care to their most critical patients.
It can also reduce the overall cost of care since treatments may become more effective with more accurate health data.
Additionally, it reduces the likelihood of complications since providers are better able to monitor changes in patient conditions.
4. Eliminates Medical Errors
RPM can also help to reduce medical errors since the data that is collected is more accurate and timely.
This can help to ensure that the patient is getting the best possible care, regardless of what provider they are seeing.
Additionally, RPM is also a convenient way for providers to connect with patients, which can help to reduce care delays and improve the overall quality of care.
5. Improves the Quality of Care
By providing more timely and accurate data, RPM helps to improve the overall quality of care.
With RPM, providers have access to more detailed patient health data, which can help to provide better insights into the patient’s condition and lead to more effective treatment.
Additionally, RPM can help to better monitor patient conditions, allowing for earlier detection and treatment of any issues that arise.
6. Facilitates Care Coordination
One of the major benefits of RPM for healthcare providers is that it can facilitate care coordination between different providers.
RPM makes it easier for healthcare providers to share patient data and collaborate on care decisions.
This can lead to improved patient outcomes since providers have a better understanding of the patient’s current condition and can provide more personalized treatments.
7. Improves Clinical Documentation
A patient’s symptoms change over time and can worsen without proper care.
RPM allows you to create effective treatment plans based on timely updates on physiological changes.
The new clinical data can help you recognize recurring patterns, detect comorbidities and provide medical assistance in real time.
Alternatively, updated records allow you to prepare for follow-up appointments better, as you are already aware of emerging symptoms and complications.
8. Reduce Administrative Costs
Providers can reduce their administrative costs by switching from manual paper-based charts to a digital platform, and adopting a speech recognition solution.
With RPM, providers can access patient data more quickly and easily than ever before, which can help to reduce the time spent on paperwork.
Additionally, RPM can help to streamline appointment requests by allowing patients to send messages directly to their healthcare provider via the platform. This makes the process more efficient and leads to fewer no-shows and other administrative concerns.
9. Increases Patient Safety
RPM can also increase patient safety since it allows providers to keep a closer eye on any changes in health conditions, such as increases in blood pressure or heart rate.
It also can help to reduce the risk of preventable medical errors.
Finally, by giving providers access to timely and accurate data, RPM can help to improve clinical decision-making, resulting in more effective treatments and better outcomes for patients.
10. Eliminates Unnecessary Hospital Visits
The association of patient health with reducing hospital visits is one of the underrated benefits of remote patient monitoring.
Public spaces within hospitals and clinics, like waiting rooms, elevators, and restrooms, are a hotbed of contamination. Visiting patients, especially the elderly, chronically ill, pregnant, or immunocompromised due to their medical condition, are more susceptible to contracting infectious diseases.
RPM allows such patients to limit hospital visits and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. It minimizes the risk of exposure to airborne diseases from other patients and contaminated public spaces within the healthcare facility.
11. Reduce Readmission Rates
Reducing readmission rates is something many are trying to focus on.
RPM can reduce this rate by providing providers with earlier warning signs of deteriorating health.
It can help to detect and alert providers to any changes in a patient’s health, such as an increase in heart rate or blood pressure.
By providing this visibility, providers can intervene earlier and provide preventative care, leading to better outcomes for patients.
12. Improve Medication Management
One area many forget is that RPM can help to improve the management of patient medications.
RPM can help to track changes in patient prescriptions and provide real-time data on the effectiveness of medications, allowing for better decisions about when to adjust a patient’s medications.
Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring
It should come as no surprise that RPM is an incredibly useful tool for healthcare providers. It can help to improve patient engagement and satisfaction by giving patients access to real-time health data, as well as an effective way to interact with their healthcare provider.
RPM also allows providers to provide more personalized care to their patients in a manner that is convenient for both parties.
It can also reduce the cost of care since it reduces the need for in-person visits and makes medical treatments more effective and efficient. By providing more timely and accurate information, RPM helps to improve the overall quality of care. It also makes it easier for providers to coordinate care between different providers, which can lead to improved outcomes for patients.
Additionally, RPM can also help to reduce readmission rates since it allows for earlier detection and interventions for patients with deteriorating health.