Remote Patient Monitoring Devices: Using Technology and Data to Make Informed Care Decisions

Remote Patient Monitoring Devices and Health Data

Making decisions about patient care depends on accurate data. Gathering patient data can happen in various ways, but an emerging field of technology allows providers to collect patient data no matter where they are. These technologies are collectively referred to called Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) devices. The exact capabilities of these devices vary greatly, but they can be used to monitor patient health outside of a traditional hospital or clinical setting. While these technologies can be used in a wide variety of ways, their general usage is relatively simple. Patient information is gathered by an RPM device in one location, usually a patient’s home, and is transmitted to a provider in another location. That patient information can then be used to make decisions about patient care.

The spectrum of RPM devices that exist today is broad – it ranges from fitness trackers like apple watches and fitbits to electronic scales to medical devices like glucometers and asthma monitors. Countless RPM device vendors exist to fulfill the emerging needs of this field. The types of conditions RPM devices can be used to monitor are similarly broad. They are commonly used to monitor chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes, but can also be used to track the condition of patients who have recently been released from the hospital following surgical procedures or serious cases of diseases like COVID-19.

Opportunities and Challenges of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices

RPM devices offer an illuminating view into patient health – not just for providers but for patients as well. One study found that chronic disease patients who utilized RPM devices had increased knowledge of their conditions and improved ability to manage their health and make care decisions. Another study found that utilizing RMP devices after undergoing cardiac surgery led to more positive patient outcomes and a lower rate of hospital readmission. Patients who utilize RPM devices can gain a clearer picture of their own health and can work with their providers to achieve more positive health outcomes

Despite the potential advantages, RPM devices can be difficult to implement. They can pose a challenge to those who have a lower level of technology literacy or to those who prefer face-to-face interaction. Potential patients and providers who are not comfortable with technology may not want to utilize RPM devices even when they would prove beneficial to providing effective patient care.

Additionally, RPM devices can be costly. Patients who intend to pay for them out of pocket can spend hundreds of dollars to get the devices that they want to use. RPM devices also have limited coverage through Medicaid and Medicare. Nationally, thirty states have some type of reimbursement for RPM – which includes all four states inside of the Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center (UMTRC) service area – but all have restrictions or limits associated with the use of RPM devices and services.

The Future of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices

Despite existing challenges, RPM is expected to be a growing part of the telehealth and healthcare industry. As the landscape of telehealth and health technologies continues to change, RPM devices are expected to become a larger part of that landscape. Having access to a wide variety of reliable data about a patient’s health can lead to much better health outcomes. RPM devices have the capability to paint a clearer picture of a patient’s overall health and can ensure that patients and providers can work together to make the best possible care decisions.

Listen to the latest episode of our Podcast, a Virtual View, where we talk with guests from Vitalograph about respiratory devices and remote patient monitoring!

More Information About RPM Devices:

• HHS Telehealth – Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring  
• Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) – Remote Patient Monitoring
• Insider Intelligence – The Technology, Devices, and Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring in the Health Care Industry  
• HIMSS – Guide to Connected Health Devices and Remote Patient Monitoring Vendors