Remote patient monitoring tools for home use.
Most people want to avoid a trip to the hospital, and Housecall Providers offers a remote monitoring tool to help keep them recovering at home.
Housecall Providers piloted a remote patient monitoring (RPM) system for eight months that providers can now request as part of a care plan.
A daily screening tool, such as RPM, has proven to significantly improve recovery after acute conditions or worsening chronic illness, and for those with high-risk factors or who need help following medication routines.
“The majority of the RPM systems have been given to patients who usually had complications from illnesses like COPD, diabetes and congestive heart failure,” says Primary Care Medical Director J.C. Provost. “They are at risk of being hospitalized or rehospitalized if symptoms can’t be stabilized.”
The RPM system equips providers with the tools to monitor patients through recovery in the comfort of their homes. Each day, patients receive reminders to take medications and to answer questions about their health, which they report on a tablet provided with other equipment. Patients are also prompted to use their wireless biometric monitoring devices to record their blood pressure, weight, heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
The daily readings are reported to the patient’s care team in a green, yellow and a red alert format. Green means all is well; yellow signifies some attention is needed; and red requires immediate communication because a reading is out of the parameters.
“I love the concept of it and that my doctor knows immediately if I am having a problem,” says Sherrie Manzalji, one of the RPM pilot’s first users. “I live with lung problems and chronic heart failure, so it is important that they [care team] know what is going on. And, if I notice that my oxygen concentration is low, I just call the office.”
The survey questions can be tailored to include symptoms of depression if the care team is concerned about a patient’s mental well-being or how they are responding to treatment.
“RPM is a short-term tool to assist patients in getting back to the health they had before the changes related to their current condition,” says Provost. “For most of our patients, stabilization will happen within a three-month window.
“Not only is the daily report incredibly useful for us to be able to monitor a condition,” says Provost “but the tablet also offers educational videos and teach-back quizzes to help educate patients about their conditions and how to avoid future setbacks and crises.”
