Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) allows doctors to get health data from patients outside the hospital or clinic. Devices like blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, pulse oximeters, and heart monitors collect this data in real time. But simply having the technology is not enough. Choosing the right vendor is important to get good health results, keep patients involved, and make sure the RPM program works well over time.
The American Medical Association (AMA) says that picking a vendor should match the healthcare organization’s needs. Many healthcare providers in the U.S. face problems like broken workflows, trouble with technology, or patients not following instructions when RPM programs don’t fit their needs.
Since seven of the top ten causes of death in the U.S. are chronic diseases, and these diseases make up about 86% of health costs, choosing the right RPM solution is very important. For example, nearly 46% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, which costs more than $50 billion yearly. RPM helps manage blood pressure better because monitoring outside clinics leads to quicker treatment changes and improved health.
A common problem healthcare groups face is not knowing exactly what they want from RPM. The AMA says the first step is to decide clear goals. Without clear goals, money and effort might be wasted, and the project might not get enough support or last long.
Administrators, IT managers, and clinical leaders should work together early to decide:
Knowing these details helps to choose vendors who have technology matching the organization’s goals.
Healthcare providers worry about how well RPM technology fits into their daily work. Doctors ask if it works well, if payments are clear, if liability is handled, and if it fits their workflow.
When checking vendors, consider these points:
The AMA and experts say it is important to have a team with people from leadership, clinical care, IT, quality improvement, and patients. Multiple viewpoints help make better choices. Frontline workers can show workflow problems, and patients can share ideas about ease of use.
Nick Dougherty from MassChallenge HealthTech says that asking frontline staff about needs helps to understand them better and gets more staff support.
Support from the vendor is very important for RPM success. Healthcare groups should check:
Good support reduces resistance, cuts downtime, and helps patients and staff stay involved.
Patient involvement is a big benefit of RPM. A doctor says that RPM helps patients take charge by sharing health data and getting reminders between visits. This keeps patients following their treatments better.
The vendor must offer easy-to-use tools and education. This includes clear instructions, mobile apps or websites, and ways for patients to give feedback.
It is important that all patients, including those often left out, can use RPM technology well.
Good RPM programs use data to make decisions. Vendors should provide reports that track:
These reports help healthcare teams check how well the program works, make changes, and show its value to payers or leaders.
New tools using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation help improve RPM. AI can study large patient data to find risks, alert doctors to urgent issues, and suggest treatment changes based on past data and guidelines. This can lead to earlier care and less work for clinicians.
Automation helps by:
Simbo AI, a company focusing on using AI for front-office phone work, shows how tech can reduce work for staff and improve patient communication.
Using AI and automation supports the Quadruple Aim of healthcare by improving patient experiences, better health results, cutting costs, and making providers’ work easier.
As more RPM data comes in, AI and automation will be more needed to grow programs while keeping quality care.
Doctors often ask if RPM technology fits with payment rules and legal protection. It is important to check if vendors:
Healthcare leaders should work closely with vendors and legal teams to understand these rules before signing contracts.
The AMA Playbook says it’s best to start RPM with a small pilot focused on one patient group or condition. This lets teams test workflows, technology, and patient involvement. Early lessons help improve the program.
After success in the pilot, programs can grow with adjustments to make sure they succeed long term.
Dr. Raj S., a heart doctor at SCL Health, tells a story: “A young mother had fainting spells that doctors couldn’t explain. With remote monitoring, a fixable heart problem was found in two months. Normal tests missed it. This change helped her life.”
Stories like this show why medical groups look closely at vendor quality and technology when using RPM.
Choosing an RPM vendor in the United States needs careful thought from many angles. Health organizations must be clear about their goals, create diverse teams, check technical details, focus on helping patients, and use AI and automation when possible.
By focusing on these points, medical administrators, owners, and IT managers can set up remote monitoring systems that help manage chronic diseases, lower healthcare costs, and improve experiences for patients and providers in U.S. healthcare.
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a digital health solution that captures and records patient physiologic data outside of a traditional health care environment, facilitating timely diagnosis and management of chronic conditions.
Identifying a need helps prioritize resources, bring purpose to the project, and garner buy-in from stakeholders, ultimately leading to long-term stability and alignment with organizational goals.
The first six steps include Identifying a Need, Forming the Team, Defining Success, Evaluating the Vendor, Making the Case, and Contracting.
Organizations should engage diverse stakeholders, including Core, Leadership, Advisory, and Implementation teams, ensuring that all relevant perspectives contribute to the RPM process.
Focus on selecting a vendor whose technology addresses identified needs and can effectively integrate into existing workflows to enhance patient care.
Patient engagement is crucial as it allows patients to take an active role in their care by accessing their data, ultimately improving treatment adherence and outcomes.
Health system leaders often struggle with driving innovation and lack access to institutional knowledge and best practices that facilitate efficient scaled implementation.
RPM provides visibility into patients’ lives outside clinical settings, enabling timely interventions and more effective management of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
The Playbook series provides a structured path for implementing digital health solutions, offering best practices, resources, and insights gathered from healthcare professionals and thought leaders.
The Quadruple Aim refers to improving patient experience, enhancing population health, reducing costs, and improving the work life of healthcare providers.
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