Thanks to the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging global population, and vastly improved monitoring, communications, and artificial intelligence technology, the field of remote patient monitoring has become a $166.52 billion industry worldwide. By providing caregivers and medical professionals with consistent, detailed patient information, the use of RPM has led to a general improvement in the effectiveness of care and better overall patient outcomes. But just what is remote patient monitoring and how is it used? Which patients are the best candidates for RPM, and is it covered by Medicare? The expert staff at HealthKeeperz, a family-run home health service provider based in Pembroke, North Carolina, shares the answers.
HealthKeeperz’s Remote Patient Monitoring 101
Simply put, RPM employs the use of standard health monitoring devices — such as weight scales, pulse oximeters, blood glucose monitors, and blood pressure monitors — in conjunction with a telehealth option and analytics to deliver viable virtual care in an outpatient setting. With remote patient monitoring, data is gathered in the patient’s home or care facility and then relayed to the patient’s attending medical team for assessment. Should a patient’s condition warrant it, more complex devices — including apnea monitors, heart and respiratory monitors/breathing apparatus, and specialized monitors for symptoms associated with dementia and Parkinson’s disease — may also be employed as part of a remote patient monitoring regimen.
HealthKeeperz notes that remote patient monitoring can be highly effective in keeping abreast of such conditions as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and coronary disease; and respiratory conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and emphysema. It’s also a useful means of alerting doctors to weight shifts and other physical changes that may signal the advancement of deeper underlying health issues.
How Remote Monitoring Benefits Patients, Medical Teams, and Caregivers
Health Recovery Solutions, a national care provider specializing in RPM and virtual telehealth systems, stated: “Remote patient monitoring is a health care delivery method that benefits patients, providers, caregivers, and the health care system as a whole, by leveraging technology advances to gather patient data outside of traditional health care delivery settings.”
How Remote Patient Monitoring Benefits Patients
Remote patient monitoring allows patients to receive care where they are most comfortable: in their homes. As reported by MedCityNews, in a 2022 survey conducted by Cross Country Workforce Solutions Group of 500 participants aged 50 and older, 70% say they would prefer an in-home care option.
Remote patient monitoring helps patients stick to prescribed care regimens by providing them with the condition-specific tools they require to oversee and manage their unique symptoms.
It provides health care in areas where in-person options can be limited, such as rural locales and places lacking reliable public transportation, and it can connect patients to specialists who might not be available locally.
Additionally, remote patient monitoring educates patients about their condition and involves them in their own care. By creating an atmosphere of engagement, patients not only better understand what’s going on with their conditions, but they can actively participate in managing their care. This feeling of self-determination and involvement provides a powerful mental boost that’s been shown to lead to more positive health outcomes.
How Remote Patient Monitoring Benefits Medical Teams and Caregivers
Remote patient monitoring employs advanced, state-of-the-art technology that can greatly enhance outcomes for patients with heart issues. “Remote patient monitoring devices can effectively track [electrocardiograms], oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiration rate, and activity, among other vitals,” noted a Dec. 7, 2022, article on ethealthworld.com. “This technology offers real-time analysis using artificial intelligence, which means that it allows early detection during the monitoring period in the event of interim cardiac rhythm abnormalities.”
Another benefit is that remote patient monitoring creates improved doctor-patient-caregiver communication, which in turn results in enhanced patient satisfaction and loyalty.
Remote patient monitoring also helps medical staff keep track of their patients’ conditions between office visits, delivering a consistent method of recording symptoms both as they occur and change over time. This vital information affords providers insights that help them proactively identify developing or worsening trends — and quickly allows them to revise a patient’s care regimen as needed.
It provides increased scheduling flexibility for doctors and their patients and can help ease the problem of overscheduled office visits.
Remote patient monitoring benefits caregivers by giving them increased access to tools and information they can employ to treat their patients more effectively. Informed caregivers who are aware of a patient’s symptoms and personal directives are also better equipped to deal with emergency situations. The HealthKeeperz staff notes that the input of an informed, involved caregiver can become invaluable to loved ones facing tough decisions at critical times.
The Continued Importance of Remote Patient Monitoring in a Post-COVID World
Even as COVID restrictions have eased and many health protocols have returned to standard pre-pandemic methodologies, the benefits of telehealth and remote patient monitoring continue to prove helpful for those with weak or compromised immune systems. This has been shown to be especially true for the elderly and patients with long-term health issues.
Per telehealth.hhs.gov: “The ability to monitor certain aspects of a patient’s health from their own home has become an increasingly popular telehealth option. Remote patient monitoring lets providers manage acute and chronic conditions. And it cuts down on patients’ travel costs and infection risk.”
The staff at HealthKeeperz has come to believe that proactive care is preventive care. Through extensive anecdotal experience, they’ve learned that having the ability to impart reliable, regularly scheduled health updates to medical personnel is a powerful tool in the proactive care of their patients time and again.
Medicare and Remote Patient Monitoring: What’s New in 2023?
While the benefits of remote patient monitoring are myriad, the dedicated caseworkers at HealthKeeperz understand making your way through Medicare’s sometimes convoluted red tape can be daunting. When the 2022 physician fee schedule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services went into effect, it included changes to remote patient monitoring reimbursements.
These changes are currently set to continue through April 2023 but may possibly last longer depending on future legislation. However, unless you’re an expert in Medicare policy or fluent in medical billing jargon, the report, which lays out specific coding details, will likely be hard to decipher. The good news is that coverage for many (although not all) of the costs related to remote patient monitoring have been kept in place with only some very minor downward adjustments, while other remote coverage options have actually expanded.
With their years of experience dealing with Medicare billing, the staff at HealthKeeperz suggests that those Medicare recipients and their families who wish to avail themselves of remote patient monitoring services consult with a trusted local expert in their community to get the most accurate advice on which benefits are available to them under the current guidelines.
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