How Remote Patient Monitoring Apps Can Improve Patient Outcomes?

Updated on January 26, 2023

Remote Patient Monitoring uses networked electronic tools to collect patient health and medical information in one place, which a practitioner then reviews in another location. 

Health systems are using RPM more frequently to treat patients with a variety of diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and COVID-19.

The market worth of remote patient monitoring devices in 2021 was USD 1.45 billion and will reach USD 4.07 billion in 2030 at an 8.74 % CAGR.

Clinics and hospitals utilize various patient monitoring devices like glucose monitors, oximeters, or full-fledged monitoring systems to record patients’ vital body signs.

However, such advanced monitoring system also comes with a limitation like accessibility. The medical staff needs to be present at the point of care to access the information gathered by the system. But this limitation can be avoided if software such as mobile apps gets connected to the hardware devices used in patient monitoring. With this, medical staff can easily collect the information remotely.

The advanced alert system is the major use case of patient monitoring. Suppose the devices find any major body signs of a patient dropping below the normal level. In that case, an alert message is sent to the medical team immediately to provide early care to avoid any critical situation. Mobile applications and IoT technology are the foundation of patient monitoring.

Why Patient Monitoring

The simplest way to read information gathered by monitoring devices is a software or mobile app for remote patient monitoring. 

Users can monitor real-time and historic data of patients like blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, and glucose level through a mobile app.

One prominent specific of remote patient monitoring is that it processes and presents data in a graphical format, making it easier to understand. If the device is equipped with machine learning algorithms and AI, it can identify early signs of disease and send alerts to medical staff to provide early medical care.

Moreover, remote patient monitoring based on information gathered by a medical device enables accurate, easy, and rapid clinical action, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

IoT – Bridging the Gap Between Patient Monitoring System and Mobile app 

IoT technology is the foundation of remote patient monitoring. With the help of IoT controllers, sensors, and software, this technology makes hardware devices smart and remotely controllable.

IoT device majorly comprises two components: IoT controllers, which process and share data, and IoT sensor, which read data.

IoT-enabled medical devices are essential while setting up a remote health monitoring system. Additionally, a user interface is required as a software or mobile app to read data collected by IoT-integrated medical devices.

A mobile app and remote patient monitoring work together on IoT technology in four steps:

  • IoT sensors: it reads the clinical data of patients
  • IoT controller: It processes data and shares it with databases or servers.
  • The front end of a mobile app: it enables providers to read the data
  • Sophisticated algorithms: It analyses data and provides insights to healthcare providers.

Essential Components of Remote Patient Monitoring Software

There are four essential components of remote patient monitoring solutions:

  • Personal Monitoring Device:

It has a Bluetooth module and records necessary patient information. All health factors like heart rate and blood pressure are tracked via sensors or wearables like the apple watch. Non-invasive devices which measure a fundamental set of physiological events are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It includes cardiac monitors, apnea monitors, electronic thermometers, electrocardiographs, etc.

  • Patient Side Mobile application:

Health providers receive patient information from the wearables via a smartphone app. These apps must be BLE data exchange networks and have cache features to prevent connectivity errors.

The application must be integrated with the healthcare provider’s system through a secure API built on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standards.

To make the program enjoyable for patients, it is built with instructive images and high-quality UX design. These apps provide access to video calling capabilities, educational information, and medicine reminders.

  • Cloud Data Storage

The patient’s wearable device can send raw data to a cloud database. This data is sorted into manageable, labeled clusters using AI-powered analytics. For RPM devices, several systems provide direct-to-cloud connectivity where all recorded data is stored in the cloud.

  • Hospital side application

A hospital-side web app complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations.

To interact with the hospital administration’s Electronic Medical Records system, it uses FHIR-capable APIs. Additionally, It has a one-on-one connection with the administrative data silos.

Remote patient monitoring includes the following modules:

Decision support: Before delivering the patient’s vital signs to the doctor, It compares the data to the expected values.

Reporting: It generates reports using all patient measurements and manual inputs and sends them to the doctor.

Notification: A warning message is issued to the doctor or consultant if any irregularities are detected by the decision support module in the patient data.

Analytics: Real-time conclusions are driven from the patient data using Business Intelligence (BI) and AI-enabled data visualization tools. Doctors can use these inferences to forecast hazards and make informed treatment choices.

Remote Patient Monitoring Case Studies

Various clinics, hospitals, and long-term care homes successfully deployed remote patient monitoring. Among them few case studies are mentioned below:

  • Goshen Health

It runs a telemedicine program for chronic care like heart disorders. Patients utilizing its virtual care service can get a first-hand prescription from the physician if required. Goshen, home care experts, install equipment and technology at patients’ homes and explain it to them.

Home care specialists can more accurately manage chronic illnesses with the data collected by medical equipment, leading to remote chronic care management.

  • The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Congestive heart failure patients at UPMC can be monitored remotely. Patients receive a tablet and medical tools to record important body signals.

Their main objective is to allow patients to maintain their health from the convenience of their homes while having a nurse on staff to provide early detection of illnesses that are getting worse.

Source: https://www.syscreations.ca/blog/remote-patient-monitoring-app/

https://www.cleveroad.com/blog/remote-patient-monitoring-software/

https://mhealthintelligence.com/features/rpm-101-what-is-remote-patient-monitoring-its-benefits-and-uses

https://www.strategicmarketresearch.com/market-report/remote-patient-monitoring-devices-market

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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.