Just as it brought telehealth to the forefront, COVID-19 is highlighting the importance of remote patient monitoring (RPM), according to a recent guest column in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.

In “Life after COVID: Remote patient monitoring will be even more critical,” author Bent Philipson, founder of consulting firm Philosophy Care, wrote that RPM complements telehealth by providing the constant observation that older adults and people with chronic conditions need.

Remote patient monitoring was a life-saving measure during COVID-19, wrote Philipson. For example, wearables that monitored patients’ temperatures and oxygen levels enabled healthcare staff to quickly identify, and respond to, worsening symptoms.

RPM also saved lives because healthcare professionals could review real-time data to determine if a vulnerable patient needed to be seen in person or could avoid possible COVID exposure at a hospital or doctor’s office, said the article.

Today, RPM is reducing hospital readmissions. It enables healthcare professionals at the hospital and the skilled nursing facility (SNF) to work together to care for the patient at the SNF. Philipson cited a study that revealed a 30% reduction in admissions of cardiac patients and an $8,000 savings for each patient.

In addition, RPM assists with infection control and prevention at SNFs, which prevents readmissions. Philipson shared the example of the Fitbit wearables that can identify illnesses early by picking up on heart rate and temperature changes, sometimes before the patient feels symptoms. This data leads to immediate treatment that keeps the patient healthier and can prevent spread.

CAST RPM Technology Tool

If you are ready to choose and implement RPM technologies in your organization, please be sure to use the LeadingAge CAST Telehealth and RPM Selection Tool, one of nine LeadingAge CAST Technology Selection Tools. Designed to help organizations better understand and choose these technologies, the tool includes a white paper with background on telehealth and RPM.

Also included are tools to help you choose the best tech solution for your organization. These tools include an interactive guide, online selection tool, selection matrix, and provider case studies.

LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO Session on Telehealth

To learn more about how three tech experts and a provider leveraged telehealth and other technology solutions to fight COVID, be sure to attend Technologies We Need Now More Than Ever, a session at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, at 8 a.m.