Top 4 Benefits of Using Remote Patient Monitoring for Chronic Care Management
Caring for patients with chronic diseases is a major burden on our medical system. In fact, treatment of chronic health conditions is responsible for 86% of all medical costs.
Nearly half of all Americans suffer from a chronic health condition like:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Respiratory diseases
- Stroke
You’ve probably seen this in your own office: patients need repeat visits for the same concerns over and over again. This may place strain on your practice as you look for ways to manage capacity for appointments and treat other illnesses and injuries. There is a better way to help your patients with chronic health conditions and offer them the careful attention they deserve: remote patient monitoring services.
4 Benefits of Remote Patient Monitoring and Telehealth Services
Patients with chronic conditions and compromised health are at a greater risk for severe symptoms when they have other illnesses and injuries. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability caused by chronic health conditions and challenged medical practices to find better ways to help patients. Remote healthcare monitoring solutions like CoachCare offer an option with impressive benefits for doctors, patients, and our healthcare system as a whole.
1. Decreasing Hospital Admissions
When patients can’t or won’t come to see you in your office, they turn to urgent care centers and hospitals for emergency treatment. Patients who are more engaged in managing their health are less likely to visit an urgent care or a hospital. This saves money and lessens the burden on our healthcare system.
Remote healthcare monitoring systems help decrease hospitalizations by empowering your patients to take control of their health. Instead of waiting until a chronic health condition becomes an emergency, your patients can seek help from the comfort of their own homes.
Medical groups experienced the following benefits after adding a remote health monitoring system:
- More patient involvement
- 6% fewer hospitalizations among patients
- 29% fewer emergency room visits
- Cost savings of $10.30 per patient per month
- Improvements for patients with depression and diabetes
2. Increasing Revenue
Your patients with chronic health conditions may be eager to use home health monitoring devices and services. Many people are looking for ways to get medical care through telehealth options because of the risks associated with COVID-19. A patient who might otherwise skip an office visit can now chat with you online.
This increases revenue by increasing the number of patient consultations your office schedules. But there’s another way that offering remote health monitoring solutions increases your revenue. When patients can book telehealth appointments, there is the added value of convenience.
Patients feel like you’re taking the extra steps to meet them where they are. You’re still available for in-person office visits, and now there’s an added benefit of a second option. When your patients are more engaged with your office, they are also more loyal to your practice. Loyal patients mean consistent revenue over the course of their lives.
3. Making Better Use of Staff Time
Telehealth appointments are more time-efficient for your practice, too. In the office, your front desk staff has to manage patient forms and insurance. Your nurses take vital signs and ask pertinent questions. Then you meet your patients to talk about their health concerns. These steps take a lot of time when they happen in person.
With remote patient monitoring solutions, the first two steps happen online. Your patient fills out forms that are then stored securely online. With advanced remote patient monitoring systems, your patient can use wearable health monitoring devices, also called RPM devices, that provide their vital sign information to your office.
4. Improving Patient Outcomes
Chronic health conditions require a different care model than acute health conditions. Consistent and timely care of a chronic condition can save your patients time, money, and add years to their life. By helping your patients effectively manage their chronic health conditions, they are less likely to suffer from other illnesses and injuries.
Controlling chronic health conditions can improve your patients’ quality of life. They may see improvements in other areas of their life like staying more active, losing weight, and feeling better mentally.
Takeaways
The landscape of the healthcare industry is changing, and you have to adapt or risk getting left behind. With many remote patient monitoring companies popping up to offer out-of-office care, doctors like you are challenged to offer a similar experience. The benefits of a remote patient monitoring solution like CoachCare have a rippling effect that extends beyond you and your patients. It’s an investment that pays for itself now and in the future.