How Remote Patient Monitoring Services can be a Boon for Patients with Critical Illnesses

 

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is not new. It was in vogue even before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the post-pandemic scenario, it is gaining much popularity because of its ability to help patients with critical illnesses in the best possible manner. Today, Remote Patient Monitoring Services are the first choice for many patients and health practitioners. These services are being rapidly embraced by hospitals worldwide. As the name suggests, RPM is used to monitor patients remotely with the help of digital technology. It has been found particularly useful in the case of patients with critical illnesses and situations that require post-acute care at home. Due to their illness, these patients require superior medical attention than other patients.  

RPM and Chronic Conditions

Practitioners and patients can leverage Remote Patient Monitoring to effectively manage common chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and COPD. In the USA alone, nearly one-third of annual deaths are attributed to heart disease and stroke. This translates to more than 859,000 Americans. These two diseases cost the U.S. healthcare system around $200 billion annually. The cost to U.S. employers is about $130 billion in lost productivity annually. More than 34 million people in the United States are living with diabetes, costing Americans more than $325 billion in medical and lost productivity costs. The projected cost of chronic lung issues is around $50 billion annually. This condition causes U.S. workers to miss more than 16 million workdays collectively per year. The manifold benefits of RPM are helping practitioners and patients manage these conditions in ways that were not believable as possible before.

We will discuss how RPM can be a boon for patients with critical illnesses:

Improves Quality of Life

With the help of this service, critically ill patients can live better lives. It helps physicians monitor their patients closely and provides reminders to patients with chronic conditions to manage them meaningfully. Such patients can be subtly reminded about following their diet on time and getting sufficient exercise. This service also allows doctors to coach such patients regularly to improve their health, which can go a long way in mitigating related medical issues. Patients with mobility issues can engage with a caretaker or a doctor remotely to engage in daily activities. This can reduce the length of hospital stay and decrease the chances of readmission. Older and disabled patients can stay home under remote monitoring rather than move into a nursing facility. 

Improves Patient Outcomes

RPM can be equally useful to physicians who can use this service when not in the office. They can especially monitor critically ill patients recently discharged from the hospital. Doctors can track their key metrics that can be used to optimize their care further. Doctors can also intervene in their disease management routine whenever necessary and provide a better solution—all remotely and online.

Decreases Healthcare Costs

RPM has a large potential for decreasing health costs by improving patient outcomes. This is possible by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions. It decreases costs because more severe and, therefore, costlier health outcomes are prevented. It can help diagnose and address conditions that don't require a hospital visit in normal circumstances. In contrast, patients who don't utilize this service would need to head to E.R. for conditions that could be diagnosed and addressed without visiting a hospital.

Improved Patient Satisfaction

With the help of this service, providers get more opportunities to collaborate with patients so they can collaborate. This proves to be extremely beneficial for the patient-provider relationship. It goes a long way in increasing factors such as patient engagement. Remotely monitored patients can access their data to better understand their treatment's impact. Increased patient engagement means better health outcomes, which translates to better patient satisfaction.

Promotes Improved Care

Remote Health Monitoring can also prove to be a boon if the critically ill patient is a rural resident. It may so happen adequate medical care may be hindered by multiple barriers, such as the inability to access adequate medical care and fewer healthcare providers in the area. Rural residents may also face a lack of insurance coverage, further compounding their problem. Therefore, there could exist a gap between the continuous care they receive without RPM. In such cases, this service provides a way for healthcare providers to bridge the gap. Therefore, continuous care can be provided to such patients per their conditions.

Conclusion

Remote patient monitoring has grown rapidly in the past few decades. It has now become an integral part of the healthcare system. It is especially proving to be a boon for patients who are chronically sick or those who require constant care because they are critically ill. At OmniMD, we can help you take a deeper look at our remote patient monitoring services. Contact us to know more!