Written by: Kelton High

Kelton High is a Social Sciences undergraduate who majored in International Relations, with a budding interest in qualitative research. He has previously worked at Transparency International.

“I am extremely obliged that a nurse is regularly observing me”, exclaimed Marie, at the age of 93 after the telehealth service of remote patient monitoring (RPM) was successful. Marie is diagnosed with Congestive coronary Failure (CHF) and has the last stage of renal disease and degenerative eyesight. While at home alone, Marie was troubled and apprehensive that she would be unable to endure her chronic symptoms. Consequently, her healthcare provider advised the remote patient monitoring system to closely observe her and alleviate her anxiety. During this time, the Medicare provider would call Marie to have her triage her symptoms, with a video call to formulate a visual examination, with a clinical outcome assessment. Marie’s healthcare and wellness have considerably enhanced, while she also feels comfortable and content that her condition is undergoing constant monitoring.

The life of Marie is one of the countless success stories that has boosted patient and clinical outcomes, because of remote patient monitoring.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Telehealth 

 The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth has facilitated telehealth models such as long-distance healthcare, health pertinent guidance, and education to be administered in patient-practitioner relationships, and remote patient monitoring.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives around, even robust and resilient medicare operations are facing a scarcity of on-ground medical practitioners, protective personal apparatus, hospital beds, and ventilators in intensive-care-units. RPM eliminates this obstacle. RPM is the harnessing of digital technology to track a patient’s condition in outpatient environments like their residences. To procure data, RPM can employ wired or wireless peripheral measurement instruments such as biosensors, blood pressure cuffs, glucometers, and pulse oximetry that are most frequently used in a post-discharge setting. LocateMotion has progressive RPM systems that are designed with device-agnostic medical alert systems, smart and secure responses, with a GPS for older adults. The RPM system is an artificial intelligence-powered health platform, with medical and biometric sensors, IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) home sensors and with 24/7 observation of patients.

While remote patient monitoring is exploited in this pandemic to improve patient outcomes, RPM tools have also been mobilized to regulate the coronavirus outbreak, by providing geographical data and statistics on the dispersion of the coronavirus, such as the compilation of temperature reading data from digital thermometers across the state. RPM has facilitated in plotting a national health map, capitalizing on information about the potential locations of clusters of the virus.

[box] Read more on How are RPM CPT Codes Helping to Provide Better Quality of Care in 2020? [/box]

How have the lives of patients been revamped? 

The sharp rise in the quantity of insured patients has enabled remote patient monitoring to increase the capacity for practitioners to treat additional patients. As the doors open for the augmented access to healthcare for patients, the quality of care has enhanced as clinicians are immediately and rapidly engaged with relevant patient information, with more fruitful and efficient daily routines. An RPM project established by Care Innovations for a Humana Cares congestive heart failure plan generated the following results:

• 80% patient concentration rate, with 24 standard utilization per patient per month,
• 94% of patients documented easy utilization of technological platforms, and
• 93% of patients were receptive to endorsing Remote Patient Monitoring programs.

Due to the permanent, and timely connection between patients and their caregivers, RPM also empowers patients with education, awareness, assistance, and feedback on their health and their illnesses, be it acute illnesses or chronic diseases.

As per The Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, the study affirmed that RPM technology has an integral role in the decrease of hemoglobin glycogen levels among type 2 diabetic patients. For high-risk patients, specifically those with chronic diseases, customized care is the way forward. With the virtualization of clinical documents, physicians can comprehend and are aware of corrective measures to diminish the regular visits of patients, by adopting device-agnostic systems with an ideal clinic monitoring system available in the comfort of their homes. Additionally, innovative implanted medical apparatus can endlessly regulate, account, and transmit and sense the patient’s vital signs, distinct health conditions, and operate life-saving therapy to a patient.

Besides patients with chronic diseases, white-collar workers who live a fast-paced life, have expedited communication with their medical practitioners about MRIs or X-rays, or general medical advice. Furthermore, patients are not apprehensive about the privacy and security of their data. Telehealth corporations comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA Law), which strive to circumvent any personal data being exposed.

Clinical outcomes and Clinical Outcome Assessments

Clinical outcomes are quantifiable modifications in healthcare or the quality of life of people that conclude from the quality of our healthcare. Consistent examination and assessment of our clinical outcomes solidify criteria for the healthcare industry against which to incessantly boost all facets of medical practice. In the status quo, to a certain extent, remote patient monitoring has improved clinical outcomes. As per the National Library of Medicine, remote patient monitoring has refined clinical outcomes and clinical outcome assessments by improving clinic efficiencies and providing a framework for device observation and patient supervision. Numerous recent randomized controlled clinical trials have indicated that RPM may curtail in-hospital visit numbers, the time needed for patient follow-up, and hospital and social expenses. In addition, patient adherence to follow-up plans are considerably improved by RPM.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology executed a systematic and methodical review and meta-analysis of Clinical Outcomes on the remote monitoring of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators. It concluded that RPM exhibited overall outcomes correlated to patient protection and survival, with more prompt clinical phase detection and a decline in inappropriate shocks.

Thus, this system improves the healthcare industry overall, with more well-informed diagnoses thoroughly and resolutely. Recent diagnostic examinations assist in amplifying diagnostic quality, and aids in optimal treatment planning. Moreover, clinicians and nurses have a supportive and amiable work environment with little or no hostility. Consequently, the good mental health of practitioners fosters a better relationship with patients, improving clinical outcomes. The healthcare industry must be aware of what are the patient outcomes to discern the success of improvement initiatives. These patient outcomes must be comprehensive, well-grounded and transparently analyzed for the accurate measures of quality to reflect the concerns of the patient.

Important stakeholders such as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have also reshaped the healthcare landscape through their clinical outcome assessments. NGOs such as Transparent Hands Foundation, Human Rights Watch, United States Fund for UNICEF, and Shriners Hospitals for Children have not only superseded their patient expectations, but also provided high-quality care worldwide. The healthcare industry must bind their common aims together to overcome the obstacles for patient care, and strengthen the medical industry