Crazy times we are living in, right? In light of the current COVID surge, many physician offices are turning to Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) as a way to keep patients healthy and safe. RPM allows for continuous monitoring of patients with chronic conditions from the patient’s home. Here are 5 reasons why physician offices are turning to RPM during this pandemic:

1- Slow the Spread of COVID

 When it comes to the COVID pandemic, one of the most important things we can do is practice social distancing. While this may prove problematic for some aspects of medicine, doctors’ offices are finding new ways to help their patients stay healthy. One way is remote patient monitoring. By tracking patients’ vital signs remotely, doctors can keep a closer eye on those who are most at risk and address potential problems before they become serious. RPM also helps patients with chronic conditions who may be at risk of contracting the virus. With daily, real-time biometric data, doctors can better identify and monitor patients who show symptoms of COVID, helping to prevent its spread through telehealth visits and home monitoring.  It also helps doctors stay connected with how patient’s are managing their chronic conditions.  

2- Improve Patient Care

Historically, doctors monitored patients with periodic face to face clinic visits.  However, now that CMS reimburses for remote patient monitoring, adopting this technology and approach makes economic sense.  Now doctors are able to get a real-time view of their patients’ health between visits.  This has led to improved chronic condition management and patient satisfaction. Patients report having better communication with their provider.  A comprehensive RPM program can provide ongoing education, triage critical readings, and deliver targeted notifications for actionable data to the physician.

3- Reduce Costs 

Chronic conditions account for 86% of all healthcare costs in the United States! And, unfortunately, many of those costs could be avoided if patients were able to better manage their conditions from home. Remote patient monitoring can help make that happen. By implementing an improved and tech-friendly chronic disease management program, you can prevent or delay a number of costly events such as emergency room visits and hospitalizations. An RN-led program helps support patients in maintaining normal values for measurements like blood sugar or blood pressure to lower the risk of a crisis requiring emergency medical attention.That means less money spent on costly ER visits and hospitalizations and leads to healthier patients.

4- Improve Clinic Staff Productivity

It’s no secret that medical professionals are overworked. But what if there were a way to help improve staff productivity without hiring more people? By tracking patients’ biometric data remotely, doctors can reduce the number of office visits and focus on the many demanding requirements of a growing practice. Remote patient monitoring is a cost-effective solution for clinics that are looking for ways to optimize their resources. Regulatory policies allow for a clinical monitoring service to deliver patient oversight. Leveraging patient services provides better overall patient experience by allowing for easier and more frequent communication, increased transparency of care, and faster response times to health emergencies. With advances in technology and available reimbursement, there’s no reason not to consider this option for your practice.

5- Provide Peace of Mind to Patients and Families 

Doctors’ offices are often bustling with activity as nurses and doctors move back and forth between patients. However, what many people don’t realize is the importance of nurses in providing care to patients and their families. Now, nurses utilize RPM to connect with patients daily and provide critical care that helps keep patients safely at home.

As the COVID pandemic continues to spread, it is more important than ever for doctors’ offices to use remote patient monitoring tools. These tools allow physicians to track patients’ vital signs and symptoms from a distance, which can help them catch any potential health complications early on. While no tool can completely prevent the spread of COVID, using remote patient monitoring can certainly help mitigate its effects while allowing physicians to stay in touch with patients that have chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure. So if you’re a doctor’s office looking for a way to help your patients during this time of crisis, remote patient monitoring may be the answer you’re looking for.

Learn more about our program and the CPT Codes available here.