Telehealth meets patients where they offer remote health monitoring programs relieving the burden of hospital stays and enabling patients to receive care without leaving their homes. Offering such programs can increase referrals and revenue. By providing innovative care, providers can gain a competitive edge and enhance patient retention. Remote patient monitoring also recognizes the increasing demand for convenience and consumer-driven care. In addition to eliminating the burden of hospital stays, these programs reduce costs and expand care access.
Reduces burden on shrinking clinician population
A recent study revealed that remote health monitoring could ease the burden on a dwindling clinician population by increasing the diversity of the patient population. With the right processes, remote health monitoring can eliminate the obligation of onsite visits and increase patient participation in research. Patients with travel and mobility issues can also participate in the study because of the convenience of remote monitoring. But remote health monitoring does have its drawbacks. Here’s a look at some of them.
A new report from the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a 55,000 primary care providers shortage in 12 years. And even with the current growth rate of the population, the number of people aged 65 and older is growing at 45% per year. Moreover, the benefits of remote patient monitoring go far beyond expanding access to care. For example, increasing asthma control alone can reduce costs by $2000 per year.
Empowers patients to be more accountable
There are many benefits to remote health monitoring, including the fact that it helps healthcare providers dispense care more efficiently, improves patient satisfaction, and cuts costs. The Financial Times recently reported that remote health monitoring could save healthcare providers $6 billion per year. In addition, patients are empowered to take charge of their health by using mobile applications that collect data from intelligent sensors and transmit it to healthcare providers. Patients can also receive information on their submitted data through mobile applications and get reminders and interactive tools for doctor-patient interaction.
A hospital can use RPM to monitor a patient’s activity and progress by providing real-time notifications. In addition, a patient can track their progress by monitoring steps with an app such as Apple Health. This information can be shared with healthcare professionals and incorporated into personalized health advice and care recommendations. The system also provides a comprehensive picture of the patient’s health and lets healthcare providers understand their needs and improve care.
Saves time, energy, and resources
When patients have multiple conditions, remote health monitoring can help clinicians better use limited resources. For example, these remote monitoring technologies allow doctors to monitor vital signs such as weight, blood pressure, and glucose more frequently than through traditional in-office patient appointments. Moreover, remote monitoring can save time and energy in emergencies, such as an epidemic or a pandemic. Ultimately, remote patient monitoring telehealth can help create a better health ecosystem by saving time, energy, and resources for healthcare organizations.
With remote health monitoring, patients can quickly get recommendations from their doctors without physically visiting them. In addition to saving time, remote monitoring allows medical staff to treat more patients without risking their health or getting infected by a virus-like Covid-19. For example, a doctor can monitor a patient from home, and the patient can attach the monitoring device and share the readings with the health care provider. The result is less stress on medical staff and a more efficient healthcare system.
Expands care access
Health data generated by remote health monitoring tools can be shared with a clinician at a distant location, easing the burden on busy primary care providers. In addition to enhancing care access, remote health monitoring is also a cost-effective solution for chronic disease management. The U.S. spends more than $3 trillion per year on chronic diseases, and technology can help improve outcomes. MHealthIntelligence published findings of a year-long study of heart failure patients. Researchers credited remote monitoring with saving over $8,000 per patient and reducing the number of patient room visits by 30%.
Another benefit of remote health monitoring is reducing-office visits, which frees up clinicians to handle other tasks. Furthermore, clinicians can monitor patients from any location, which means they can spend more time with patients, such as educating them about their condition. This allows clinicians to manage more patients and reduce their work-related burnout. Furthermore, remote health monitoring improves patient engagement and outcomes. Thus, it can improve health outcomes while also increasing patient satisfaction.
