Eight out of ten elderly Americans1 are faced with one or more chronic diseases’ health issues. In some cases, they also suffer from acute diseases and/or injuries. Technologies for remote patient monitoring (RPM) have been found to be beneficial at helping chronic illness management, post-acute care and safety monitoring of the elderly. RPM technology can assist older persons reduce chronic illness development and assure a continuous recovery from acute treatment. RPM technology may also alert health care providers and expedite medical intervention in the event of an injury or severe complications.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and COPD are common, costly, and difficult among the older adults.
- According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eight in ten2 older Americans experience health issues as a result of one or more chronic conditions.
- According to World Health Organization (WHO),3 chronic disease accounts for 60% of deaths worldwide.4
- Chronic disease accounts for three-quarters5 of all direct health expenditures in the United States.
Despite the presence of a chronic health condition, many people, even the older adults, have the capacity to live long, active lives. Many people can prevent major health consequences and the associated costs if these illnesses are detected early, controlled and maintained regularly. Chronic disease management has been the focus of several recent health and home care technologies due to the substantial opportunity to maintain independence, prevent health issues, and cut expenses. Many of these breakthroughs have been enabled or supported by RPM technology. Here are some features of an ideal RPM technology:
- Promotes early intervention – to detect health deterioration and intervene early
- Integrates care delivery – to enable transmission of patient health data and communication among all stakeholders
- Provides coaching and education – to engage patient behavioral changes and self-care
- Increases trust – to maintain active engagement and seamless connection between patient and providers
- Ease of use – to help patients, especially the elderly, use the RPM technologies like medical devices and applications without too much assistance from others
- Enhance workforce productivity – to increase revenue and reduce physician burnout; more patient care delivery while reducing home visit travel time
How does advanced remote patient monitoring technology work?
To maintain communications between patients and physicians, remote patient monitoring devices utilize health and digital technology. Advanced RPM includes IoMT medical devices used for monitoring. At various intervals during the day, patients monitor themselves by collecting vital signs, then electronically submit secure data to their clinicians or staff though a cloud-based application, most of the time, mobile-enabled.
The patient-generated health data is then analyzed by medical professionals in their primary care clinics, hospitals, intensive care units, nursing homes, or off-site monitoring centers in order to provide regular, daily—or even hourly—medical advice. They can also provide much-needed assurance and comfort that the treatment is working, timely notifications to modify dosage of medicines or diet and lifestyle, or directions to go to the ER if necessary.
Next-generation remote patient monitoring technology is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (RPM). This allows clinicians to continue monitoring after a patient is released from the ER or a care facility, avoiding the need for the patient to leave home again. AI-powered RPM provides a holistic picture of a patient health with rich visualizations, allowing them to monitor a lot of patients in one RPM dashboard while prioritizing those who need intensive care.
When healthcare providers can gather data on vital signs such as blood pressure, blood sugar, blood oxygen, heart rate, and electrocardiograms from any point of care, they can do so more frequently and consistently than they did before at typical in-office patient encounters. This quick, real-time information transmission could be a lifesaver for individuals with high-risk chronic or acute disease.
Takeaway
Advanced RPM technologies significantly impact multiple facets of health and well-being by reducing avoidable costs (such as those associated with hospital readmissions) and assisting older adults and their caregivers in managing chronic diseases and the aftermath of acute care episodes, all while contributing to increased patient safety and satisfaction.
To know more about the benefits of Next-Generation Remote Patient Monitoring Technology, visit DrKumo Inc.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/aging
- https://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/
- https://www.who.int
- https://www.who.int/chp/chronic_disease_report/contents/part2.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435779/
