The implementation of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) devices is making a positive impact on both patient and practitioner care. RPM devices enable practitioners to continually monitor their patient's vital signs, rather than just obtaining them during a single visit in an office. This allows for a more accurate assessment of patient health changes throughout their treatment journey, enabling practitioners to provide better care and higher-quality patient outcomes.
The doctor may then prescribe medication and advise the patient to return for a follow-up visit if symptoms persist. If further assistance is deemed necessary, the patient may be referred to a hospital for further testing, monitoring of vital signs, and additional treatments. When medically appropriate, discharge from the hospital is authorized when vital signs no longer require continuous observation.
Upon discharge from the hospital, a patient is no longer under direct medical observation. This means that their daily vitals, such as temperature, oxygen saturation levels, blood pressure, and pulse rate, are no longer being tracked. Without continued monitoring of these vital signs, future health changes may go unnoticed and potentially cause preventable hospital readmissions.
Introduction to Remote Patient Monitoring Devices (RPM)
Real-time patient monitoring (RPM) has been widely recognized as a revolutionary healthcare solution, earning the praises of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Medical Group Management Association, and the Institute for Health Policy and Leadership, among other organizations. By offering secure, digital capture and electronic transmission of critical health data from a patient to a healthcare provider, RPM enables real-time remote assessment and provides accurately informed medical advice or instructions.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a revolutionary technology as it extends healthcare services beyond the walls of a healthcare facility. This gives doctors "eyes and ears" for patients after they leave, thus broadening the continuum of care, minimizing risk, and decreasing potential adverse events. Through RPM, patients can feel more in control of their healthcare journey while healthcare providers reduce costs associated with repeat visits. Ultimately, everyone benefits from this advancement.
What are Remote Patient Monitoring devices, and why are they used?
There are several RPM devices available today on the market. Here's a quick overview of the most common reasons RPM is used:
Blood pressure monitors
These devices typically involve a cuff placed on a patient's arm and are often deployed to manage hypertension effectively. With the assistance of remote patient monitoring (RPM), healthcare providers can be alerted when a patient's blood pressure moves outside of their ideal range, allowing them to assess the situation and provide guidance to ensure the patient's blood pressure is managed appropriately. Typically notifications are sent after a 24-hour monitoring period. It is important to note that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hypertension served as a chief or contributory cause of death in nearly 500,000 individuals in the United States in 2019.
Heart Rate
Recent developments in the health industry have seen a rise in the use of remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices for managing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). These include pacemakers, defibrillators, and loop recorders that allow for the remote recording of vital statistics without the patient needing to attend a physical clinic. Numerous reports have indicated that RPM device usage can lead to improved overall patient outcomes and reductions in blood pressure, as well as make it easier to predict heart failure (HF) decompensation and detect arrhythmia at earlier stages so that interventions can be taken more quickly.
Saturation levels
Healthcare professionals routinely check a patient's blood saturation levels to determine the amount of oxygen the blood carries. This procedure is essential for those suffering from Covid-19 and can be done quickly and easily using a pulse oximeter. The device consists of a small clip placed on the end of the finger, toe, or earlobe and then emits a light beam that passes through the skin to measure the percentage of oxygen-carrying blood. This information enables medical personnel to make accurate assessments without taking a blood sample. Oxygen levels (or oxygen saturation, SpO2) can be measured via a device and displayed on a screen. These devices are typically used in physicians' offices and healthcare facilities, but they can also be utilized for remote patient monitoring at home in the event of Covid-19 or other chronic conditions such as long-term heart or lung illnesses.
Choosing the right Patient Monitoring Device
For those considering Remote Patient Monitoring, there may be a few questions about cost and selecting a vendor. It is important to be informed of the options available and what best meets your or your organization's needs.
Providers recognize RPM as a very cost-effective solution because it generates cost savings and increases revenues. The capital and operational costs associated with an RPM system vary depending on the chosen system, making it essential for practitioners to undertake thorough research to identify their needs and select the most appropriate solution.
ViSi Mobile: Designed to Monitor Patients Continuously in General Care Settings
ViSi Mobile improves patient safety by utilizing machine learning from millions of hours of patient data to recognize patient deterioration while minimizing alarm burden and maximizing clinical workflow.
The ViSi Mobile system monitors:
ViSi Mobile provides hospitals with an effective solution to improve patient safety across the enterprise while minimizing the impact on alarm burden and clinical workflow. Further complications can be avoided by notifying nurses of potential patient deterioration. To promote continuous monitoring as a new standard of care for step-down and general floor units, we encourage healthcare facilities to schedule a demo with us.
