
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) gives patients 24/7 access to health care providers and enables practitioners to be more proactive about patient care, improving communication between patients and providers, solidifying relationships, and building trust. With health care being more accessible than ever, Venu Prabaker, MD, at Healthcare Medical Group of La Mesa in La Mesa, California, is a keen advocate of RPM.
Remote patient monitoring (RPM), also referred to as remote physiologic monitoring, uses advanced equipment to share a patient’s health data with their doctor remotely, reducing the reliance on in person appointments. This technology brings health care to where the patient is, whether at home, work, or on the go.
Remote patient monitoring is an initiative put in place by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The program encourages a proactive 24/7 care approach toward patient health by providing individualized care programs to people who live with two or more chronic conditions.
RPM can also help patients and providers improve chronic care management processes (CCM).
Who benefits from remote patient monitoring?
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) gives patients access to their own health data so that they can better understand the impact of treatment and take action in response to their own medical needs.
Continuous tracking is helpful for patients with ongoing care needs, such as:
- Heart conditions
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Dementia
- Depression
- Autism
- HIV/AIDS
Most chronic conditions require daily monitoring. Needing to see a doctor every day presents a hassle. RPM allows providers to receive continuous, detailed information about their patient’s conditions from a distance.
Remote patient monitoring offers many benefits for clinicians as well. The program provides easy access to patient data and the ability to deliver higher quality care to more patients with a lower risk of burnout, lower costs, and higher efficiency, to name a few.
Is telehealth the same as remote patient monitoring?
Simply put, remote patient monitoring (RPM) is the use of technology that allows for healthcare to be provided to patients at a distance.
It refers to the use of a specific technology to facilitate interaction between patients and clinicians at home. In contrast, telehealth is a broader term that refers to the entire industry and technologies that enable that type of health care.
Dr. Prabaker has years of experience using RPM to manage a wide range of chronic conditions. To learn more about remote patient monitoring and all the benefits available to you.