Holistic Solutions Can Help Health Systems Recognize ROI on Remote Patient Monitoring
In recent years, care has increasingly transferred from the hospital to the home. This trend in digital health systems accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as overwhelmed hospital systems turned to advanced digital solutions to alleviate staff and treatment space shortages, increased staff burnout, and financial and logistical strains.
Telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) solutions have proved their worth in making homecare a viable alternative to many aspects of hospital care.
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Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or those living with chronic conditions, particularly benefitted from the reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections and an easing of the anxiety associated with hospital visits, along with the general benefit of quicker and more effective rehabilitation in the comfort of one’s own home.
However, despite the notable benefits of home care solutions, they have often not been deployed in a way that provides optimal returns for healthcare systems.
Home Visits Do Not Guarantee Optimized Home Care
While a variety of home care-focused health systems and solutions enable patients to receive treatment and recuperate outside of the hospital, not all methods are optimized, both logistically and economically, for the benefit of both patients and providers. Traveling to patients’ homes is not an optimal usage of a caregiver’s time and results in them being less available in hospitals, thereby contributing to hospital staff shortages and physician burnout.
Home visits can also incur additional costs for health systems, due to travel expenses and the need to find staff to cover the shifts for those out on home visits. Thus, homecare models can inadvertently result in more financial and logistical strain on HMOs rather than relief.
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Current Remote Care Solutions Do Not Necessarily Ensure Adoption
Recent years have seen hospitals and health systems utilize a range of solutions intended to remove the need for the physical presence of a caregiver, with devices that can monitor and measure a variety of conditions and vital signs, such as blood pressure, weight, respiration and blood glucose levels.
However, such solutions can be overly complicated in practice, particularly for older populations who may not be as tech-savvy and tend to be somewhat resistant to adopting new technologies. This is especially true for those solutions that require the use of multiple devices with different smartphone apps, making patients less likely to adopt or adhere to the programs.
Additionally, costly or complicated installations of remote care systems make the adoption of potentially life-saving monitoring solutions less likely.
Patients, especially the elderly or infirm, may resist the intrusion, which can require significant retrofitting of some parts of their homes. At the same time, health systems will be less inclined to spend the time and money on installing, calibrating and training staff and patients on solutions that may not be adopted by patients. Thus, remote systems, by themselves, are unlikely to lower costs and improve access to quality care – another approach is needed.
The Growing Need for a Truly Holistic Approach to Remote Care
Instead of the proliferation of standalone and disparate systems, what is needed is a holistic, integrated, and easy-to-use platform that encourages patient adherence while easing the strain on health systems.
With a remote monitoring system that enables the tracking and management of multiple conditions all in one place, vital signs that require constant monitoring can be measured and tracked on a single unified platform, removing the need to invest in multiple condition-specific solutions from different providers.
Using a streamlined all-in-one solution, patient-generated health data can be easily monitored from different health monitoring devices and uploaded seamlessly and automatically to the care team’s dashboard via one central hub or gateway. Patients can use devices they are already familiar with to take their readings (blood pressure, temperature, weight, etc.) and the system can automatically collate and send the data to physicians and caregivers, removing the need for patients to navigate complicated apps and operating systems, or to physically input data themselves via different online forms.
Such a system, comprising both a user-friendly interface and a simple installation process, allows providers to enjoy lower technical and support costs. Meanwhile, software upgrades and service expansions can be managed through a single gateway, without the need for constant software downloads or recalibrating different systems.
Realizing returns in RPM
Healthcare providers have to see tangible ROI in remote patient monitoring in order to support mass adoption. A patient-centric and provider focused solution that increases engagement while alleviating the burden on hospital resources is the way forward to help them realize real returns.
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