Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is rapidly becoming an efficient way for clinics to deliver healthcare services. It allows for real-time monitoring of a patient’s health remotely, providing the patient and the doctor with data that can be used to make informed decisions. This article will discuss the many advantages of RPM, examining how it ensures improved health outcomes, higher efficiency, and cost savings for patients and medical professionals.
A discussion on the benefits of RPM would only be complete by mentioning the role of wearable devices. Finally, we will consider the importance of having an experienced healthcare software development firm at your side when developing patient portals.
RPM and the Increasing Role of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices
Remote patient monitoring devices are increasingly popular, with a relevant global market expected to reach $4.07 billion by 2030. These include sensors, wearables, and other accessories that track patient vitals and send data to healthcare practitioners. Wearable and portable monitoring gadgets are growing in both types and numbers as connected healthcare systems become more and more widespread.
Some of the most widely used remote monitoring devices are:
- Pulse oximeters
- Weight scales
- Blood glucose meters
- Blood pressure meters
- Heart rate monitors
- Fetal monitors
They are growing in popularity, pushing telemedicine capabilities further. Patient monitoring devices also benefit the healthcare industry because they allow for more timely and accurate diagnoses, reduce hospital admissions, and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, such gadgets can reduce the cost of healthcare and improve patient satisfaction by providing more convenient and accessible healthcare services. With that in mind, let us take a closer look at the benefits of RPM for patients and clinics.
1. Improved Disease Management
Remote patient monitoring can help improve the management of chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more by providing real-time data that can be used to track disease progression and identify warning signs of deterioration. Monitoring chronic diseases is becoming one of the biggest RPM market trends as it eases patient management for physicians without cutting corners on the quality of care.
2. Better Quality of Care
Remote patient monitoring allows healthcare providers to monitor patients in real-time and intervene if needed, leading to improved quality of care and fewer hospitalizations. That can include collecting data from wearable devices and responding to changes in the patient’s condition. By having real-time access to data, healthcare providers can quickly detect changes in a patient’s health and take appropriate action. Besides, that can help with patient appointment scheduling pushing the red flag patients higher on the list. Lastly, efficient monitoring can reduce the need for in-person appointments and improve the efficiency of remote care delivery.
3. Lower Costs
Cost optimization is one of the most valuable outcomes of using remote patient monitoring systems for clinics. There are several ways in which you can reduce the cost of daily operations:
- Reduced overstaffing costs. RPM and patient portals reduce the need for in-person visits, meaning medical staff can stay home and monitor patients remotely. That can save time and money, as the staff can focus on the patient’s most critical needs.
- Lower travel costs. Remote patient monitoring eliminates the need for patients to travel for appointments and follow-ups, saving them time and money.
- Optimized administrative costs. You can automate healthcare administration tasks like appointment scheduling, prescription refills, and lab results. It means less staff is needed to manage these tasks, leading to cost savings.
- Improved efficiency of care. Remote patient monitoring can help ensure patients receive the best possible care and, most importantly, appropriate care. That way, clinics can avoid wasting money on unnecessary procedures and tests.
4. Greater Convenience
RPM allows patients to monitor their health in their homes using electronic devices and digital communication. Thus, they receive more timely and accurate health information and improved communication with their healthcare providers. Also, RPM enables patients to get care without physically traveling to a medical facility. That includes accessing their health records, receiving medical advice, and monitoring their health on their own schedule. Another critical achievement here is that clinics can cut the cost of care by reducing the need for in-person visits and tests.
5. Increased Patient Engagement
As mentioned, patient engagement software helps users monitor and regularly report their health data to healthcare providers. That allows physicians to collect real-time information on their patient’s status. This data can be used to manage chronic conditions better, react to changes, and administer care. Patient engagement software also allows healthcare providers to identify patterns in a patient’s health and any changes that may indicate a need for intervention.
6. Improved Communication
Improved communication is yet another benefit of remote patient monitoring and patient portals. It allows doctors to monitor patients’ health and provide feedback remotely via chats or video calls. They can do that through patient-facing healthcare mobile applications, remote sensors, and telehealth solutions. With these apps, doctors can receive valuable data on patients’ vitals.
Additionally, patients can book appointments, view test results, request prescription refills, and contact their doctor via patient portals. That allows for more efficient communication between patients and clinics and helps to cut frequent doctor visits. Back to the previous point, improved communication through RPM and patient portals supports patient engagement.
7. Enhanced Treatment Outcomes
Patient portals provide more secure and reliable access to health information, reducing the risk of medical errors and improving care outcomes. Such improvements stem from RPM systems enabling healthcare providers to monitor patients in real time and on an ongoing basis. These systems can send alerts for potentially dangerous health issues allowing physicians to respond quickly and boost the success of interventions across the facility.
After all, increased patient engagement and a proactive position allow patients to respond to red flags independently and take the physicians’ prescribed measures.
8. Better Access to Care
With the innovations made by remote patient monitoring companies, healthcare practitioners can extend their services to more patients, regardless of time or distance. RPM improves access to care and health information, drastically enhancing treatment success rates. New techs can help patients by reducing wait times, cutting unnecessary travel to doctors’ offices, boosting health awareness, and strengthening communication between patients and physicians.
9. Reduced Paperwork
Integrating electronic health records (EHRs) in tandem with patient monitoring cuts the need for most of the manual record-keeping and paperwork, reducing administrative costs. The data collected by the patient monitoring systems can be processed and automatically added to the patient’s history. For instance, the system could pick up any notable changes in the vitals and log into the record. That allows the nurses and physicians to see the changes in the patient status in the retrospective and make informed decisions based on those findings.
Having the record logged in automatically can save hours of manual labor each day, the time you can allocate to more essential tasks.
10. Increased Patient Satisfaction
One of the reasons behind the increased patient satisfaction is that the patients can take a more proactive approach to the treatment process. Utilizing patient platforms and monitoring systems gives them valuable insight into their condition. These techs also increase health awareness by helping people better manage their health through greater access to their healthcare data.
How Trusted Remote Patient Monitoring Companies Help Your Organization
Partnering with a reliable healthcare software provider is essential to adopting remote patient monitoring. A trusted software development partner like SPsoft can build the necessary software and share technical expertise to facilitate the adoption of the relevant RPM practices. We can also provide support through training and advice to ensure the system performs to its maximum capacity. So, you can be confident that your platform is reliable and secure, is adequately used by the clinical staff, and is well supported on a technical level.
In addition, a software development vendor can create solutions tailored to your organization’s needs. Our experts can develop custom applications and systems that ensure the RPM process runs as smoothly as possible. With our help, healthcare providers can be sure that their remote patient monitoring system is robust and effective.
