Healthcare Technology Featured Article

May 21, 2020

Remote Patient Monitoring Offers Benefits For Doctors and Patients Alike


Throughout the history of medicine, technical innovations have improved patient care and have made taking care of patients easier for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Inventions like anesthesia, vaccines, antibiotics, x-rays and laparoscopic surgery have saved perhaps millions of lives, and have improved quality of life for millions of others. These inventions have also made it possible for doctors and nurses to care for more patients more efficiently, resulting in lower medical costs, higher recovery rates and better patient outcomes.

One of the newest innovations in the field of medical care is remote patient monitoring. Combining several types of technology, remote patient monitoring is carried out with the use of wireless health sensors that are attached to a patient’s body. These sensors record patient health data 24 hours a day, which can be accessed at any time by a doctor or a nurse using a computer or smartphone.

 Because it allows doctors and nurses to view health information for their patients in real-time from any location, remote patient monitoring has the potential to revolutionize patient care as we know it. Having the ability to check on patients without having to physically be at their bedsides allows doctors to keep a closer eye on their patients, as well as to care for more patients at once.

Remote patient monitoring allows doctors to respond to unexpected patient health problems more quickly. Reducing the amount of time that patients must wait to receive care helps to keep minor health problems from becoming major ones. It can also sometimes mean the difference between life and death in emergency situations.

Another benefit of remote patient monitoring is that it helps keep medical costs down for patients by reducing the amount of care they need and/or the length of time that care is needed. It can also save them money in some cases by eliminating the need for long hospital stays and frequent visits to the doctor’s office.

Patients who do need to visit a hospital or doctor’s office will also see a benefit from remote patient monitoring. Doctor’s office waiting areas will be less crowded, and waiting times to see a doctor will be greatly reduced.

Remote patient monitoring is especially beneficial for clinical study participants and elderly patients who traditionally would have had to make visits to the doctor often to get updates on their conditions. A patient with a chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease — one of the leading causes of premature death in the United States — can benefit greatly from remote patient monitoring technology. Because their vital signs can be monitored 24 hours a day, patients who have suffered a heart attack or stroke are able to receive care for any problems that arise right away, preventing a second recurrence and sometimes even death.

Remote patient monitoring is similarly useful for cancer patients, patients who are diabetic, women with complicated or high-risk pregnancies, and patients with severe or life threatening allergies.

And because patients are saving money, receiving better quality care and, in some cases, not spending as much time in the hospital or doctor’s office, patients who participate in remote patient monitoring programs are often happier and feel more satisfied with their care experience than patients who receive only conventional care.

Remote patient monitoring can also provide financial benefits for doctors and other medical professionals. Having the ability to care for more patients at once means that doctors are able to earn more money due to increased billable hours. Not having to care for some patients for the length of time they once would have also allows doctors to care for new patients, increasing the number of new patients they can take on.

Other benefits of remote patient care for doctors include:

Because patient health sensors have the ability to store health data both locally and in a centrally located location, doctors have the ability to access historical health data for their patients quickly and easily any time they need to do so. There is no need for them to make phone calls, send emails or make a special trip to the hospital.

The advanced software that comes with most remote patient monitoring programs automatically analyses the patient data that has been collected and offers doctors treatment recommendations. The software can also alert doctors when one of their patients is at risk of having an emergency, allowing them to act quickly.

Patients are also able to download remote patient monitoring software, allowing them to better keep track of and care for their own health issues, giving both patients and their doctors better peace of mind.



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