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RPM has grown rapidly in popularity among providers and patients in recent years with its unique and interesting advantages and will help physicians further their independent practices.
FREMONT, CA: Despite its existence in the medical industry for years, remote patient monitoring (RPM) gained more attention and increased use during the pandemic due to the need for ways to care for patients at a distance.
Unlike other telehealth delivery methods, RPM does not require interactive audio, video, virtual visits, or technology that can collect, transmit, and interpret physiological data. It offers a continuous, real-time health data stream, helping to monitor patients' conditions. The use of RPM has become more widespread, and acceptance has unveiled its broader benefits.
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Extends Physician Reach
The primary advantage of RPM is that it extends the reach of physicians, enabling them to monitor their patients' progress after discharge from hospitals or medical centres. During the pandemic, RPM allowed physicians to track patients with chronic conditions from a distance, keeping them away from the healthcare environment and minimising their potential exposure to the virus. This was practised as research indicated that people with such conditions were at the greatest risk of developing severe COVID symptoms or complications.
Provides Improved Care for Uninsured, Rural, and Minority Patients
Minority communities face several barriers to healthcare. For example, people of colour are less likely to receive regular sources of healthcare, visit a healthcare provider regularly, and receive insurance. In addition, rural residents also deal with a myriad of impediments to accessing adequate medical care, including lower average income, lack of insurance coverage, and fewer healthcare providers in their locations.
Rural regions have much higher rates of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. After the pandemic, there were higher infection and death rates among the communities. RPM offers a method for medical providers to bridge the gap, making it easier to enable all patients to receive the continuous care their conditions require.
Improves Patient’s Quality of Life
RPM enables physicians to provide subtle reminders to their patients with chronic diseases to manage their conditions, such as reminders about diet and getting sufficient exercise. The ongoing coaching assists patients in improving their health, thereby increasing their overall quality of life. RPM enhances the quality of life in other ways as well. For example, it helps elderly patients or patients with mobility issues to engage in daily activities without the caretaker's support.
This reduces the length of hospital visits and alleviates patient hospitalisation and readmissions. Additionally, RPM enables older and disabled patients to spend more time at home rather than moving into skilled nursing facilities.
Enhances Patient Outcomes
Medical practitioners can use RPM to improve care management for patients when they are outside the office, particularly patients with chronic conditions and recently discharged ones. By tracking critical health metrics for patients, providers leverage the information for effective patient care. RPM enables physicians to intervene in patients' disease management activities when data is of concern.
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