People with high blood pressure, chronic disease, or those who just recovered from an intensive illness will often have health issues amplified. These patients are classified as high-risk for the coronavirus, which means they really need to stay on top of their health. Health and wellness checkups really have to be done on a routine basis. 

Remote Patient Monitoring

At this stage, remote patient monitoring and telehealth come in especially handy. With remote patient monitoring, physicians are better able to keep an eye on the health of their patients. This happens without the need for a physical trip to a healthcare facility by the patient. Life then becomes easier for both doctor and patient. 

Slowly but surely, remote patient monitoring is making its way to the mainstream. This means that down the line, it can turn into table stakes for physicians.

What Are the Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring?

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, remote patient monitoring was already being made use of to measure symptom response and to juggle patient care. Remote patient monitoring is touted as a way to minimize doctor visits. It’s particularly helpful since some patients feel rushed during their inevitable office visits, which is stressful and makes them uncomfortable. 

By comparison, remote monitoring requires less patient effort and can even reduce stress. It’s no wonder there’s been a surge in the adoption of remote patient monitoring over the last couple of months alone. Here are some of the key benefits:

• Gain new patients from recovering or remote areas

Beyond the global health crisis, there’s still plenty of help to be had from remote patient monitoring. Patients that live in remote areas who can’t access doctors easily for regular checkups will benefit greatly from it. A person with diabetes or a recurring heart condition, for example, can manage things from home for the most part while a doctor uses sensors to keep an eye on them. 

Paired with virtual sessions when necessary, that can go a long way.

• Infection risk at the practice’s office is considerably lowered

Remote patient monitoring is particularly helpful when it comes to monitoring patients that end up testing positive for COVID-19. Patients can be monitored carefully with remote patient monitoring, so that any respiratory distress or other shifts in the condition can be detected right away. This happens through connected devices like blood pressure devices, thermometers or sensors.

It’s also a great tool to aid in keeping them safely quarantined. They’re less likely to infect others if they’re able to stay at home instead of making their way to a physician’s office. In turn, healthy people are also able to have a safer environment and be less likely to be in harm’s way at all.

Safe management from home isn’t just for COVID-19 patients either. Chronic or acute conditions that have nothing to do with the coronavirus can also be managed with remote patient monitoring. This includes preterm birth or cardiovascular disease, amongst other conditions. It cuts down their need to visit a doctor’s office, decreasing the likelihood of them coming into contact with sick patients.

Conclusion

Remote patient monitoring involves devices, sensors and thermometers. It’s ideal for COVID-19 patients and for people with a number of conditions. Benefits include lowering the risk of infection at a practice and gaining new patients from remote or recovering areas.

Looking into remote patient monitoring? Reach out to Medistics Health today! We humanize healthcare with our care management services.