Examples of Remote Patient Monitoring: 9 Top Patient Applications

The usage of distant affected person monitoring — i.e., distant physiologic monitoring or RPM — has surged over the previous few years. It is been broadly embraced by suppliers, sufferers, the federal authorities, and an increasing number of commercial payers. Quite a few statistics show the value of RPM, and after we have a look at a number of the extra widespread examples of distant affected person monitoring purposes, it’s simple how RPM is remodeling the supply of care in the USA.  

Listed below are 9 of the highest affected person purposes for distant affected person monitoring, damaged down by three of the follow specialties most ceaselessly providing and prescribing RPM to their sufferers: cardiology, pulmonology, and endocrinology.  

Cardiology Distant Affected person Monitoring  

Inside cardiology, there are 4 noteworthy examples of distant affected person monitoring.  

1. Hypertension administration 

There are lots of alarming facts and statistics regarding hypertension. Almost half of U.S. adults might be categorised with hypertension, and hypertension was a main or contributing explanation for practically 700,000 deaths in 2021. A affected person with hypertension is in danger for coronary heart illness and stroke — the main causes of loss of life in the USA. Solely about one in 4 adults with hypertension have it beneath management.  

Contemplating sufferers with hypertension are normally comparatively or utterly asymptomatic, the one strategy to precisely determine whether or not many sufferers are experiencing hypertension is to measure the blood stress. That’s sometimes carried out with a monitor. Utilizing this blood pressure monitor is a reasonably simple course of, and it is one which lends itself completely to RPM. All sufferers sometimes should do is place a cuff on their arm and begin the accompanying monitoring machine that measures and transmits blood stress knowledge.  

Because of this easy exercise carried out on an ongoing foundation, cardiologists obtain the data they should advise sufferers about worthwhile modifications of their life in areas together with medicines, weight-reduction plan, train, smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine.   

2. Treatment administration and titration 

For sufferers with hypertension, remedy is usually ongoing and entails a number of medicines. There are lots of lessons of blood pressure medications. Because the Mayo Clinic notes, how properly a blood stress remedy works can depend upon elements together with age, intercourse, race, blood stress degree, and general well being. Combining two medicine normally works higher than one to deliver blood stress beneath management, and typically extra medicines are required to realize targets.  

Contemplating these elements, hypertension remedy regimens usually endure frequent and infrequently substantial modifications. To greatest guarantee applicable and secure changes, practitioners want well timed and correct hypertension knowledge. Offering sufferers with a remote monitoring device is the best technique for the continued supply of such important data to cardiologists.  

3. Weight measurement for congestive coronary heart failure 

Now allow us to talk about two weight-specific purposes for cardiology RPM. As Emory Healthcare reports, practically 5 million Individuals presently dwell with congestive coronary heart failure (CHF), and coronary heart failure is answerable for 11 million doctor visits annually and extra hospitalizations than all types of most cancers mixed. About 550,000 new circumstances of coronary heart failure are recognized yearly within the U.S. 

A gentle or speedy acquire in day by day weight might point out {that a} affected person’s physique is retaining fluid. Fluid retention — which may happen within the lungs, kidneys, stomach, legs, and toes — is a standard symptom of coronary heart failure. However such weight acquire and subsequent fluid retention can simply be missed if not usually monitored. It has been proven that sufferers can acquire 10 kilos of “further” fluid weight earlier than displaying any signs moreover elevated weight, comparable to feeling unwell or experiencing swelling.   

With day by day distant weight monitoring carried out utilizing a connected scale, cardiologists obtain alerts when cardiac decompensation happens, allowing quick motion that can assist enhance the affected person’s situation and reduce the necessity for hospitalization or pressing care. Each day weight monitoring is taken into account important for efficient CHF administration, with the American coronary heart Affiliation noting that weight acquire is usually the primary indication of worsening coronary heart failure.   

4. Weight measurement for weight problems 

Our remaining instance of cardiology distant affected person monitoring additionally entails measuring and monitoring weight. Weight problems is without doubt one of the most important well being issues for Individuals, with about 42% of the U.S. population considered obese in 2017–2020. Well being issues linked to being chubby and weight problems embody hypertension and coronary heart illness in addition to sort 2 diabetes, strokes, and a few types of most cancers.  

The excellent news is that weight problems is treatable and reversible, and doing so can ship quite a few well being advantages that embody reducing critical well being dangers, decreasing levels of cholesterol, and addressing sleep apnea. With ongoing, distant monitoring of a affected person’s weight problems, cardiologists can present higher and extra focused recommendation for modifications that may assist stabilize or lower weight.  

Pulmonology Distant Affected person Monitoring  

Persevering with via our checklist of 9 prime affected person purposes for distant affected person monitoring, there are two examples of distant affected person monitoring ceaselessly provided by pulmonologists and a 3rd instance encompassing a number of circumstances.  

1. COPD administration 

Power obstructive pulmonary illness (COPD) is the third main explanation for loss of life by illness in the USA. The illness affects about 12 million Americans, and it’s believed that thousands and thousands extra aren’t conscious they’ve COPD. The illness accounts for thousands and thousands of emergency division visits.  

COPD could also be incurable, however it’s manageable and treatable. To take action, pulmonologists work with sufferers to develop a plan that mixes medicines, oxygen remedy, rehabilitation, and assist. With distant affected person monitoring, pulmonologists can carry out efficient and well timed oversight of COPD. This results in enhancements in determination assist and affected person adherence to steering and suggestions.   

2. Bronchial asthma administration 

Statistics show that greater than 27 million U.S. adults — or about 8% — have bronchial asthma. Whereas bronchial asthma stays incurable, it is extremely treatable. Pulmonologists can work with sufferers to develop a administration plan that mixes train, avoiding triggers, medicines, and different methods, together with distant affected person monitoring. On the rise amongst bronchial asthma sufferers, the usage of an digital respiratory monitor is serving to assist bronchial asthma sufferers and assist optimize bronchial asthma administration. And with good cause: Research indicate that ongoing monitoring of interventions is linked to raised bronchial asthma management, extra symptom-free days, and decreased want for rescue remedy.  

3. Different respiratory illness administration  

Pulmonologists are largely leveraging RPM to assist COPD and bronchial asthma sufferers, however there was a rise in distant assist for sufferers with cystic fibrosis (CF), bronchiectasis, and different respiratory illnesses. As pulmonologists and their sufferers additional embrace RPM, the variety of sufferers with various illnesses who profit from these digital providers will steadily improve.  

Endocrinology Distant Affected person Monitoring  

For our remaining prime affected person purposes for distant affected person monitoring, let us take a look at two widespread examples of endocrinology distant affected person monitoring.  

1. Glucose monitoring 

The American Diabetes Affiliation reports that in 2021, greater than 38 million Individuals, or near 12% of the inhabitants, had diabetes, and greater than 1.2 million Individuals are recognized with diabetes yearly. Like different illnesses mentioned on this piece, diabetes is power and incurable, however there are a number of methods to cut back the influence of the illness on a affected person’s life, together with weight reduction, optimistic weight-reduction plan modifications, and fascinating in an energetic life-style.   

Blood sugar testing is important to raised managing diabetes and stopping issues. Such testing not solely serves to determine when blood sugar ranges are excessive or low, but it surely additionally helps with diabetes remedy administration, analysis of the consequences from modifications to weight-reduction plan and train, and monitoring progress towards remedy targets.  

For some diabetes sufferers, blood sugar testing is advisable periodically up to some instances day by day. These sufferers are more and more receiving distant assist for his or her diabetes administration through a blood glucose meter. When sufferers check their blood sugar utilizing this glucose monitoring machine, endocrinologists obtain the information captured. If the data warrants it, these practitioners could make modifications to a drugs routine and supply suggestions to enhance administration. Proof shows that RPM is efficient in controlling HbA1c ranges in folks with sort 2 diabetes  

2. Steady Glucose Monitoring 

For folks with diabetes, primarily these with sort 1 diabetes, ongoing measurement of blood sugar ranges could also be advisable to detect noteworthy modifications in blood sugar ranges in close to real-time and reveal sugar degree highs and lows that fingerstick testing alone might not determine. To carry out ongoing measurement, sufferers are supplied a steady glucose monitoring system, also known as a CGM. To make use of a CGM, a small sensor is hooked up to the stomach that features a cannula. The cannula penetrates the pores and skin and performs the “steady measurement” across the clock (there is a few-minute interval between readings). The info captured is then despatched to a tool. If it is an RPM machine, the tools transmits the data to the prescribing follow for evaluation inside the remote patient monitoring system.  

As with distant, non-continuous glucose monitoring, distant CGM supplies endocrinologists with their affected person’s blood sugar readings — and most significantly, any that increase purple flags (i.e., glucose ranges too excessive or low). CGM can assist enhance diabetes administration and remedy choices because it supplies a clearer image of a affected person’s blood sugar ranges and their motion.  

Get Began With Distant Affected person Monitoring  

Do you deal with sufferers with any of the illnesses mentioned above and suppose your sufferers would profit from distant affected person monitoring? The subsequent step is to search out an RPM system that can meet your and their wants. We invite you to schedule a live demo of Prevounce. The Prevounce platform and assist from our RPM consultants operate as a accomplice that may information you thru the distant affected person monitoring course of and show you how to determine the tools and software program that greatest meets your sufferers’ and group’s wants.  

If you happen to’re uncertain about whether or not RPM will make monetary sense on your group, we advise downloading our RPM billing guide and using our ROI calculator.